Howrah unrest case: CID takes over investigation

Kolkata: The CID has taken charge of the investigation into the unrest that took place in Howrah after the Ram Navami procession on Thursday.

The incident was being investigated by the Howrah City Police. After two days of unrest, the area is gradually returning to normalcy on Saturday morning.

GT Road was opened for traffic movement in the evening on Friday after violence erupted in the area on Friday morning which also resulted in various policemen getting injured. From a situation of absolute chaos, the area on Saturday morning witnessed the usual business as the markets around were also set up.

At a press meet on Saturday, Chief Secretary HK Dwivedi said that the situation in Howrah has normalised completely.

MLA Arup Roy, District Magistrate and Commissioner of Howrah City Police held several meetings. Dwivedi also said that the state government is examining the quantum of losses and that the state government will bear the total expenditure of the losses incurred.

The incident started on Thursday when a massive clash had broken out between two groups on GT Road. It has been reported that youth from outside had come in bikes with hockey sticks on them and reportedly had set fire to vehicles.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday held the BJP and other right-wing organisations responsible for the violence at Shibpur in Howrah and appealed to the masses to maintain peace. Banerjee also assured that the state government will render all possible assistance to those whose houses or shops have been vandalised in the clashes.

Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Friday claimed that those who organised the procession had no prior police permission. He also showed several videos in which certain people with ‘saffron’ flags, chanting “Jai Shree Ram” slogans, were purportedly seen torching and ransacking properties.