A police team from Samserganj in Murshidabad, assisted by their counterparts in Bidhannagar, broke into a Salt Lake apartment to rescue family members of some riot victims after receiving a complaint that they had been kidnapped.
The incident happened in Salt Lake’s BG Block where the family members of Haragobinda Das and his son Chandan Das, victims of the Murshidabad riots, were staying.
According to an officer, Samshergunj police, under whose jurisdiction the family lives, had received a complaint from one of them that some members of their family had been kidnapped.
Based on the complaint, police teams from Samshergunj and Bidhannagar went to the apartment where the family was staying.
“We were assisting a team of Samshergunj police who had received a complaint that some persons had been kidnapped. When no one opened the door, we broke it open because our priority was to ensure the safety of the victims who were kidnapped. Everything was done following the law,” said deputy commissioner (Bidhannagar) Aneesh Sarkar.
However, when the door was opened and the police teams could talk to the family members, they said that they had come to Calcutta on their own. After that, the police left the spot.
BJP leaders Sajal Ghosh and party lawyer Tarunjyoti Tewari went to the spot and criticised the police action.
“It is apparent that the family member who complained about the kidnapping was forced to do so at gunpoint. Otherwise, why would the family members declare that they were not kidnapped at all? The same police who could not protect the precious lives in Murshidabad have come down to Salt Lake to talk to their families,” Ghosh said.
Tewari said they would move court against the police action.