Eleven injured in police firing in Bengal

Koltaka: More than 11 people were injured in West Bengal’s Loba in Birbhum district when the villagers and police clashed. The clash reportedly occurred early Tuesday during a police raid to recover a coal mining company’s earth-mover that had been confiscated by the villagers.

The villagers alleged that people have been injured due to police firing. However, State Home Secretary Basudeb Banerjee (IAS) has denied that the police fired at the villagers; he said six villagers were injured when they clashed with cops, but none has bullet injuries. “There were no orders of firing so the question of people getting injured from firing doesn’t arise. On the contrary 27 policemen were injured including the officer-in-charge of the local police station, when the local tried to attack them with bows and arrows and crude bombs. Nine police vehicles were destroyed,” added the Home Secretary.

“Police came in the morning to seize the vehicle. More than 18 people have been injured due to police firing. The villagers protested against illegal mining and the poor compensation by the company and refused to let them take away the vehicle. The police forced their way, using teargas and then fired at us,” a local activist told Gulf News.

“Four villagers were seriously injured; two of them might not survive. We are angry. We will not allow the police here. DVC Emta has been illegally mining because of their close contacts with the government and have excavated much more than there permissible limit, and is threatening the villagers who oppose them,” he added.

However, this incident have raised concerns has to why police were used to recover equipment owned by a private company. “There has been reports of illegal activity by the concerned company, but the state government has not conducted any enquiry on the contrary had been siding with them,” said leader of the opposition Surya Kanta Mishra

According to district police officers, “the law of the land does not work for anyone. The equipment rightfully belongs to the company and since it was unlawfully seized by the villagers and the company sought police help we were bound by law to help them,” said a police officer.