The seven arrested for allegedly organising attacks on policemen walk out of the Siliguri court on Friday. (From left) Pappu Ghosh, a peon in a private firm, Bapi Roy, who works in a furniture factory, Biplab Roy, a student, Sanjit Saha, a grocery owner, Dolon Das, a garments seller, Gouranga Bala,a mason, and fishmonger Lalchand Das. Picture by Kundan Yolmo

Siliguri, June 13: A court found little merit in charges of attempt to murder against seven youths arrested for yesterday’s violence in Siliguri and granted them bail, defusing what was snowballing into a fresh flashpoint.

When the seven were brought to the Siliguri subdivisional court this afternoon, some 500 people gathered on the premises demanding their release.

The crowd included lawyers and members of Amra Bangali, which called the Siliguri bandh that ended this afternoon, Jana Jagaran, whose members roamed around the town on motorcycles yesterday to enforce the strike, and the DYFI, the CPM’s youth wing.

Amra Bangali leader Khushiranjan Mondol set a condition. “If these seven are arrested, the police should pick up the people from Bhanunagar who threw stones at houses in the Ganesh Ghosh Colony. If this is not done, we will call an indefinite bandh in Siliguri from tomorrow.”

A showdown between the Ghosh colony and the Nepali-dominated Bhanunagar was averted yesterday by the police but not before the state government turned to the army, which was eventually put on standby.

A standoff was about to set in on the court premises but around 100 lawyers who represented the seven youths free told the court that people armed with stones and sticks could not be charged with attempt to murder.

“The seizure list showed only stones and eight bamboo sticks as deadly weapons. So the charges under Section 307 do not hold water,” lawyer Utpal Ranjan Sarkar said.

Acting chief judicial magistrate Ranendranath Makal appeared to concur with the defence.

Whatever evidence has been provided doesn’t go to show it was an attempt murder, Sarkar quoted the magistrate as saying. The magistrate asked the police to file a fresh case, Sarkar added.

Makal granted the seven bail against a bond of Rs 1,000 each and asked them to appear before the police once a week.

The order sparked celebrations outside. The seven were garlanded and taken around the town by more than 100 youths on motorcycles.

Senior officers said injuries to several policemen in yes-terday’s clashes might have prompted the force to come down hard on the seven and send a message to other potential trouble-makers.