One person was killed and 10 police officers and 30 people were injured when two groups of people clashed with each other at Raniganj town.
The officers include deputy commissioner of police (headquarters) Arindam Dutta Choudhury, assistant commissioner of police (Central), Ajay Chatterjee, officer in charge of Raniganj police station Promit Ganguly.
The three senior officers sustained bomb injuries. A curfew was imposed in the area and huge police forces were deployed. Around 1.30 p.m. some people hurled bombs at the DC ( Headquarters) of Asansol Durgapur Police Comissionerate, Arindam Dutta Choudhury. His right hand was blown off in the bomb blast at Hill bustee.
He was taken to a hospital in a critical condition. The ACP suffered head injury.
Even the police commissioner Lakhsmi Narayan Meena was also heckled.
The situation went out of control around 10-30 a.m. and till 4-30 p.m. the police failed to enter the coal town.
The DM Burdwan (West), Shasank Shetty sought help from the Army. However, since evening the situation improved and the deployment of Armed Forces has been put on hold.
The Chief Minister’s Office (CMO)and the state home department have sought a detailed report from Asansol-Durgapur Police Comissioner, L.N.Meena.
Asansol MP and union minister of state Babul Supriyo alleged at Raniganj the incident had been pre-planned. “At least 20 houses were torched and 10 to 12 shops looted,” he said.
Mr Babul Supriyo claimed he was supposed to take part in rallies and came from Asansol but later decided not to go ahead with his plan. Peace should be restored first, he said.
Mr Jitendra Tewari, mayor of Asansol Municipal Corporeation, innocent people suffered because of provocative acts by some people. The state labour minister Moloy Ghatak went to Raniganj this evening.
Mr Runu Dutta, CPI-M, MLA of Raniganj condemned the incident and said that the culprits should be punished. He alleged that two political parties were disturbing peace in the state.