Tension ran high at the NJP Railway station area in Siliguri after one Railway Protection Special Force (RPSF) constable and some drivers of vehicles parked there clashed over ‘illegal parking’ on Friday.

A tourist was injured in the melee when he was hit by a baton on his leg, the drivers said. The incident occurred after RPSF constables in civvies asked a driver to remove his car from the noparking area outside the station at around 9.45 am.

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This led to an altercation among the drivers and the RPSF. Officials of the Railway Protection Force (RPF), NJP, intervened and tried to settle the matter through discussions.

However, after an hour, around 10-15 RPSF men rushed to the area and allegedly batoncharged the drivers, while the latter retaliated and hurled stones and bricks at the RPSF men.

An RPSF constable, Sudip Kumar, sustained head injuries after he was hit by a stick. Around four drivers were also injured in the clash. A car driver, Himan Sarkar, said a tourist from Kolkata was hit by a stick when he was trying to get in the car.

“We were shocked as the lathicharge came all of a sudden. We were not prepared for such a situation, especially after the issue of parking of a car was settled through discussions. A tourist from Kolkata was injured in the lathicharge. He was hit on his leg and he fell down, but he quickly got up and ran,” said Mr Sarkar, who sustained injuries in his hand.

The incident triggered panic among train passengers there. The RPF, GRP and police from the NJP police station brought the situation under control. Mr Kumar said he was hit by a lathi when he was simply standing there after a haircut. More than 500 taxis stand at the station area to ferry passengers, while allegations of illegal car parking there has been an old problem.

A senior RPF official said the RPSF men (from the B company of the 4th Battalion) are deployed in three shifts at the NJP. Inspector in-charge of the RPF, NJP, Biplab Majumder, said they were looking into the incident.

INTTUC NJP unit president, Prasenjit Roy, condemned the incident and said it should not be repeated. RPF and drivers both have lodged complaints with the police, it is learnt.