RG Kar crime anniversary: 7 cases filed, 2 BJP MLAs booked for 'assaulting' police officers during march

Kolkata: The Kolkata Police have registered seven cases against two BJP MLAs, a party leader and others for allegedly obstructing its personnel from performing their duties, assaulting them and causing damage to public properties during a march to the West Bengal secretariat a day ago, a senior officer said on Sunday.

BJP legislators Ashok Dinda, Agnimtra Paul and party leader Kaustav Bagchi and others have been booked under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, he said.

"They were booked for obstructing police operations, assaulting officers, and causing damage to public properties during Saturday's 'Nabanna Abhiyan'," the officer said.

The cases, lodged at the Park Street Police Station and Hare Street Police Station, also included non-bailable sections, he said.

Chaos and violent agitation dominated the streets of Kolkata and adjacent Howrah on Saturday, a day that marked the completion of one year of the rape and murder of a postgraduate trainee doctor at the state-run RG Kar hospital, and left the mother of the victim hospitalised with a head injury.

During the day, Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Verma visited the SSKM Hospital, where five policemen, who were injured in a face-off with protesters during Saturday's 'Nabanna Abhiyan', are undergoing treatment.

"CCTV footage, other video clips, and footage from drone surveillance are being scanned. We will not be able to say anything until we're analysing the footage. Those who violated the Calcutta High Court's directives, obstructed police operations, assaulted officers and damaged public property are being identified," Verma said.

On the allegation of the mother of the deceased doctor that she was beaten up by police during Saturday's protest, Verma said, "It is part of the investigation, and we will probe into the matter. We will take action as required. The injury to the mother of the RG Kar Medical College crime victim is regrettable. This should not have happened. But why it happened and whether the allegation is correct or incorrect need to be probed."

The mother of the RG Kar victim alleged that she was roughed up by the police during the march, an assault that allegedly took place when Kolkata Police baton-charged protesters at the Park Street crossing in central Kolkata to disperse the crowd on Saturday.

Verma said that "any complaint received would be probed".

"Even if we do not receive any complaint, we would investigate. In fact, we have already started investigating yesterday's matter," he said.

Asked what could be the action against those allegedly trampling the national flag during the march, Verma said, "Allegations regarding police personnel trampling the national flag are also under investigation. We are checking the CCTV footage."

The police-protesters face-off took place in phases and at multiple points during the 'Nabanna Chalo Abhiyan', a march to the state secretariat demanding "justice" for the RG Kar victim, which had at least three converging processions of agitators in both Kolkata and Howrah.

The police made elaborate arrangements that included setting up of iron barricades as high as 10 feet to stop protesters' progress.