Days after he ‘lathi-charged’ residents for bursting crackers near his bungalow, Bengal SP gets transfer order

The West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) had permitted only eco-friendly green crackers between 8 pm and 10 pm on the night of October 20, Monday. That night, a group of men and women were allegedly bursting crackers near the SP’s residence in the Railgumti area of Cooch Behar town. Residents later alleged that Bhattacharya, along with other policemen, had baton-charged them.

The next day, residents blocked the road near the SP’s residence in protest. Police arrested ten people, including three women, to disperse the crowd. The ten were produced before the Cooch Behar Chief Judicial Magistrate’s court on Wednesday, where the three women were granted bail. The case is scheduled for hearing on Friday.

Purported CCTV grabs of the alleged baton charge went viral on social media, sparking heated debates. Leader of Opposition and BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari condemned what he called “high-handedness” by the SP, while BJP workers gheraoed Kotwali police station in protest on Wednesday.

Speaking to local media, Bhattacharya denied using force and defended police action. “Some people were bursting crackers near my house. We thought it would end shortly, but it continued past midnight. My wife counted 60 such firecrackers; some even fell inside our residence. Our dogs were scared and screaming. The guards went and asked them to stop. There was no beating,” he said.

Shiben Roy, the lawyer representing the arrested, said, “Out of the ten people arrested, three got bail. Police slapped stringent sections against those who blocked the road. But where is the evidence?”

North Bengal Development Minister Udayan Guha said, “This may be a routine transfer. I do not have information on whether it is related to the alleged lathi-charge.”

BJP MLA from Cooch Behar Dakshin, Nikhil Ranjan Dey, however, welcomed the transfer. “The SP who beat up men and women with lathis should have been booked and punished. But we welcome the transfer,” he said.