Kolkata: The Kolkata Police has made its first arrest in connection with the August 9 violence during the Nabanna Abhijan, in which police personnel were attacked and a Calcutta High Court order was allegedly violated.
On Wednesday, Joint Commissioner of Police (Headquarters) Meeraz Khalid said several people had been identified from CCTV, drone and police body camera footage. Six individuals, including several BJP leaders, were summoned, but no arrests were made until Wednesday evening. Later that night, police raided a location in Jagaddal, North 24-Parganas, and arrested local BJP leader Chandan Gupta in connection with the alleged assault on the bodyguard of Deputy Commissioner (South Suburban Division) Bidisha Kalita. Gupta, said to be close to BJP leader Arjun Singh, is a party leader in the Bhatpara-Jagaddal area.
Commissioner of Police Manoj Kumar Verma, while inspecting Red Road’s security arrangements, said: “Several people were identified from the footage. They will be arrested soon.”
Gupta was produced before the Bankshall Court on Wednesday afternoon, with police seeking custody for interrogation. His lawyer applied for bail, arguing that thousands of BJP supporters had attended the rally on Suvendu Adhikari’s call and that his client’s name was not in the FIR.
The public prosecutor countered that the accused and others had defied repeated warnings and violated the Calcutta High Court’s orders, bringing bricks to the protest site and attacking police.
The assault on the constable, the prosecutor argued, could have been fatal. The court remanded Gupta to police custody until August 15.