Jalpaiguri: 4 held for forcefully collecting Kali Puja donations

Jalpaiguri: Police have arrested four youths for allegedly collecting donations for Kali Puja forcefully by blocking a road in Jalpaiguri’s Indira Colony area on Monday.

The Jalpaiguri Kotwali Police Station has announced an operation to combat the practice of collecting money by blocking roads and extorting funds from both small and large vehicles. Collecting donations in this manner is illegal and swift action will be taken upon receiving information about such activities, they stated.

Every year, prior to Durga Puja or Kali Puja, roads are obstructed to solicit donations from trucks and passenger vehicles. This issue is not confined to Jalpaiguri Municipality area alone but affects various areas of the district, including 73 More, Panga Saheb Bari, Pahar Pur area, Gosala More from Patkata to Rangdhamali, Indira Colony, Mohit Nagar, Rani Nagar, and beyond. The practice has frequently sparked anger among drivers and the general public. To address this concern, the district police had warned all local clubs last year about the illegal collection of donations, but the practice continued.

Those who refuse to pay the full amount often face harassment from the collectors. Locals also fear that accidents may occur due to people standing on the road to collect donations in this manner.

On Monday, the Jalpaiguri Kotwali Police conducted an operation in response to information received on members of a local club blocking the road in the Indira Colony area and collecting money. Four individuals were arrested.

Sandeep Sen, Additional Superintendent of Jalpaiguri District Police, stated: “Collecting donations in this manner is illegal and should not be tolerated under any circumstances. All police stations in the district have been placed on alert and they have been instructed to take action upon receiving reports or complaints. Police patrolling has also been intensified in various areas to address

this issue.”