Kolkata, 1 September (H.S.).

One of the key faces of the ongoing West Bengal teacher recruitment movement, Suman Biswas, on Monday accused the police of manhandling him at Karunamoyee Metro station despite a Calcutta High Court order granting him protection.

Biswas alleged that his kurta was torn, his mobile phone damaged, and plainclothes police officers assaulted him. “The police were trying to arrest me. Their intention was to stop the movement and prevent me from meeting the West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) officials,” he said.

Eyewitnesses and fellow protesting teachers claimed that the police dragged Biswas by his collar, sparking a scuffle at the spot. The entire episode was streamed live on social media. Biswas maintained that the High Court had permitted him and four other representatives to visit the SSC headquarters.

Meanwhile, heavy police deployment was seen in Salt Lake during the afternoon to stop any possible rally towards the commission’s office. Police officials argued that Biswas was attempting to organize an “unauthorized rally” in an area where Section 144 was in force. They also recalled that he had been detained earlier on August 18 under similar circumstances.

Biswas’s family alleged that police had conducted a late-night raid around their residence in Bandel, Hooghly district, on Sunday but refrained from entering due to CCTV cameras installed in the area. His brother described the police actions as a sign of “desperation and frustration” aimed at suppressing the movement.

On the broader issue, aspiring teachers reiterated that since the SSC had already released a list of disqualified and tainted candidates, there was no need to conduct fresh examinations. Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari also attacked the state government, arguing that once the guilty candidates had been identified, “honest and eligible teachers” should be reinstated without delay. He assured that if the state moved the Supreme Court on the matter, he would support any Assembly resolution to ensure the appointment of qualified candidates.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh