Kolkata, 12 June (H.S.)
Kolkata Police and West Bengal Police arrested 40 individuals in Maheshtala following violent clashes that injured several police personnel. The violence erupted on Wednesday afternoon in Ward 7 over a dispute regarding a shop's establishment, escalating into communal tensions with allegations of an attack on a place of worship. Mobs from two groups engaged in stone-pelting, targeting police attempting to restore order.
Additional Director General (Law and Order) Jawed Shamim reported that prohibitory orders under Section 163 of BNSS were imposed, and the situation was stabilized. West Bengal Police arrested 28 individuals, with four officers injured, while Kolkata Police detained 12, with about a dozen personnel, including a Deputy Commissioner, injured. Seven FIRs were filed, four at Kolkata’s Nadial Police Station. The area, under the joint jurisdiction of both police forces, saw continued tension on Thursday, with shops closed and a heavy police presence clearing vandalized vehicles, particularly motorbikes. Police urged residents to avoid gathering in crowds.
Locals criticized the inadequate police response, noting Rabindra Nagar Police Station’s proximity (100 meters) to the violence site. Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, protesting at Bhabani Bhawan, sought permission to visit Maheshtala with another MLA to meet victims, posting his request on X to the Diamond Harbour SP and DGP. BJP MLAs threatened to disrupt West Bengal Assembly proceedings over the issue. TMC leader Firhad Hakim promised strict action against those attacking police.
Notably, Maheshtala incident follows recent communal violence in April 2025 in Murshidabad’s Samserganj and Dhulian, which killed three and displaced hundreds.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey
