Forward Bloc supporters armed with sticks rush towards the Dinhata subdivisional office on Tuesday. (Main Uddin Chisti)

Calcutta/Dinhata, Feb. 8: The government today transferred two officers from Dinhata, but stood by police’s decision to fire at Forward Bloc supporters who turned violent in the town on Tuesday.

The decision to shift deputy superintendent (crime) Meghlal Sarkar and Dinhata inspector-in-charge Sudhangshu Roy came after home secretary Prasad Ranjan Ray received the Cooch Behar district magistrate’s report on the police firing today.

District police chief Anil Kumar is expected to submit another report to director-general of police A.B. Vohra, who will forward it to the home department.

“The police in Dinhata feared an all-out attack from the Bloc demonstrators and hence had to open fire in self-defence. This is what I have been told. Besides, things went out of control after the protesters set two police vehicles on fire,” Ray said today.

According to a home department official, the report submitted to Ray says it was not possible for the 135 policemen on duty in front of the Dinhata subdivisional office that day to control the 10,000-odd violent protesters.

Asked about the transfers, the home secretary said: “After such incidents, police officers are posted elsewhere to avoid ugly incidents with residents.”

A meeting was held in the chief minister’s chamber today to review the Dinhata situation. Ray, Vohra and chief secretary Amit Kiran Deb attended it.

The home secretary said there was no discussion on a possible judicial or CID probe. “It is for the chief minister to decide the nature of the probe. We are waiting for things to come to normal in Dinhata. I hope to issue orders for an inquiry by an executive magistrate early next week,” Ray said.

A magisterial probe is a routine affair after police firing.

In Dinhata, Sarkar said: “I do not mind a transfer to Siliguri, which is my home.”

The officer, who has about three years left in service, said the firing orders were given by the Dinhata subdivisional officer. “The police did not give any firing orders.”

The inspector-in-charge of the Dinhata police station has been transferred to the district intelligence branch.

A report sent by subdivisional officer Debabrata Chakraborty to the district magistrate said 22 rounds were fired. Two constables had fired three shots in the air and 19 on the crowd from their .303 rifles, it said.

The police were accused of flouting norms like warning the mob before firing and shooting below the waist.

Bloc district secretary Udayan Guha dubbed the transfers an “eyewash”.