Amidst high drama, jawans of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) on Friday freed their commandant who had been arrested in connection with the killing of a man on Thursday from the custody of Diamond Harbour police station this morning.

The incident occurred when the police were preparing to take the officer, and another accused SSB personnel to the Diamond Harbour court.

The jawans whisked away the commandant in a car which was waiting outside the police station.

However, the accused officer later surrendered following intervention of top officials ~ but not before a livid chief minister Mamata Banerjee hit out at the SSB. A miffed Miss Banerjee said, “Law and order is a state subject. SSB has no right to interfere in such a fashion”.

IG (Law and Order) Anuj Sharma spoke to his opposite number in the SSB and the commandant was finally forced to surrender in court.

On Thursday, Altaf Jamadar (35), a resident of Raidighi, was shot dead inside the office of a local cable operator, Mojammel Mondol, at Sarisha Hat in Diamond Harbour.

Police arrested Dipak Kumar Singh, commandant of the SSB’s 63 battalion stationed in Barasat in North 24-Parganas, Amitava Pramanik, SSB jawan of the same battalion, and Mojammel in connection with the case.

Police said around 10.45 a.m. on Friday, as they were taking Singh for a medical check up before producing the three accused in a court, Singh started to run towards National Highway-117.

Policemen including Mr. Goutam Mitra, the IC of Diamond Harbour police station, chased him but SSB jawans of Parulia camp who were waiting on the road with two vehicles took him and fled away towards the SSB camp.

A large police contingent then chased the SSB vehicles. Police finally stopped the vehicles at Kapathat and caught Mr. Singh.

But SSB jawans then attacked police and a scuffle ensued between the two forces. The jawans finally succeeded in overpowering the police and rescuing their commandant. The IC, Diamond Harbour, and some policemen were injured in the attack.

After that, police officers went to Parulia SSB camp where they faced resistance from the SSB jawans.

Tension gripped the area for some hours and after two hours the accused SSB officer surrendered in court and the three accused persons in  Thursday’s murder case were produced before the Diamond Harbour ACJM’s court.

The Diamond Harbour district hospital superintendent, Dr. Anwar Hossain, was called to the court lock-up for Singh’s medical test before producing him in the court.