A civic volunteer was arrested and removed from duty for his misbehavior in an intoxicated state last night.
Police said the incident took place when students of Rabindra Bharati University were protesting, seeking justice for R G Kar rape and murder. During the protest by Rabindra Bharati University students and alumni on BT Road, the civic volunteer entered the scene on a bike around 3.30 am. The protesters alleged that the civic volunteer was in an inebriated state. He drove into the protesters on a bike with ‘police’ written on it. The protesters managed to stop him in his unsteady state and questioned his identity. It was revealed that the individual was Gangasagar Gonde, a civic volunteer from Sinthee police station. The protesters claimed that he was intoxicated. As the situation escalated due to the presence of this person in the protest, the sergeant on duty told the civic volunteer to ‘move to the side’. The protesters allege that the sergeant, Tarakeshwar Puri, helped the intoxicated civic volunteer to leave the scene.
This incident further intensified the situation. The students questioned why the sergeant remained silent and helped the civic volunteer escape. The protesters also accused the police officers from Kashipur and Sinthee police stations of not taking their concerns seriously. The incident took place at a time when the city is protesting rape and murder of a trainee doctor in her workplace.
On Friday night, students of Rabindra Bharati University sat in protest, demanding justice for the R G Kar victim. Their scheduled programme was supposed to continue until 4 am. The protest was peaceful until the incident occurred at 3.30 am, which changed the entire direction of the movement.
The protesters claimed that the sergeant present on the spot protected this civic volunteer. Hence, they are asking, who is backing these civic volunteers? Why are police officers providing them protection? Ultimately, an FIR was filed, and the accused civic volunteer was taken into custody. According to Lalbazar sources, the accused was arrested once the blockade was lifted. The police have also stated that the accused will not be allowed to return to work. The protesters lifted the blockade after four-and-a-half hours.