A police team that was on duty at a checkpoint in Malda was attacked by a group of people on Monday afternoon.

Three policemen, including a sub-inspector, were injured in the attack at Gita More, a prominent crossing under the jurisdiction of Mothabari police station.

Police sources said the team was checking vehicles loaded with goods at the checkpoint that is along the Amriti-Kaliachak state highway and also the documents of those vehicles.

The police checkpoint was set up around five years ago at Gita More.

“Around 3pm today (on Monday), 10 to 15 residents of the area reached the checkpoint. They asked the on-duty police personnel to show papers of the police vehicles parked nearby. As the policemen challenged their authority to check such documents, an altercation ensued,” said a source.

Soon, the altercation turned into a scuffle, and Rezaul Karim, the sub-inspector, was attacked. He suffered a serious injury to the head. Two other police personnel, who tried to save him, were also injured.

A team from the Mothabari police station, which is 5km from the crossing, reached the spot.

They dispersed the crowd and rescued the injured police personnel. The trio were sent to the rural hospital in Bangitola for treatment.

Samvab Jain, the additional superintendent of police (headquarters) of Malda, said they had taken serious note of the incident.

“We have registered an FIR. Those who attacked the police have been identified and will be arrested. We will not allow such provocations and attacks against the police,”
he said.