Trouble inside Howrah apartment complex

HOWRAH: Allegations about a kidnapping bid and an attempt to cut off a youth’s kidney sparked trouble in Moukhali at Howrah’s Jagacha shortly after noon on Friday. A mob of some 1,500-2,000 from a slum in the area gheraoed an apartment complex, alleging that two suspected miscreants were hiding amid bushes inside its premise. The mob insisted that they be let in to search out the duo.When refused entry, some 50-60 from the crowd forced their way in, pushing aside security men. Trouble soon spread to Kona Expressway which was blocked for some 20 minutes from around 1 p.m. They relented after police chased them to clear the key thoroughfare for the chief minister’s convoy. The CM was heading for Tarakeswar.
Javed Ansari, one of those who barged in, alleged that “a resident of the complex pointed a gun at us from a window of his flat and threatened to shoot unless we left the place.” This enraged the mob further. Bricks were hurled at some buildings within the complex. When cops from Jagacha police station reached the complex on receiving calls from its residents, the mob hurled bricks at them too. Reinforcements, including RAF and Combat Force, led by Howrah police commissioner Vishal Garg reached the area. Police allegedly lathi-charged the mob that continued to attack cops. Police, however, denied allegations of lathi-charge. Police searched the complex but found no one hiding amid bushes as alleged by residents of the nearby slum.

State minister and Howrah Trinamool leader Arup Ray reached the spot and appealed to the crowd over a microphone to be calm and avoid paying heed to rumours. The mob dispersed slowly thereafter.
The genesis to the trouble lies in Thursday evening’s kidnapping allegation by 24-year-old Asha Naik, a resident of Haripara next to the complex. She alleged, “I was sitting on the verandah of my house on Thursday evening when two bike-borne masked men tried to drag me onto their motor-cycle. When I resisted, they beat me up with rods. They fled as I screamed.” Enraged neighbours of Asha blocked the area. Cops from Jagacha reached the area and assured the crowd that security would be stepped up in the area.
Further allegations were spread on Friday by one Mohammad Iqbal of the Harijan bustee near Haripara. Iqbal alleged that two bike-borne miscreants tried to cut off a kidney of a young slum dweller heading back home for lunch from work. Soon, slum dwellers gathered with rods to search out the alleged miscreants. They targeted the complex, suspecting the two were hiding there.
Garg said, “The situation in the area is under control. Police is patrolling Moukhali. We are investigating whether miscreants were indeed involved as alleged.”