Trouble continued to erupt in restive Sandeshkhali in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district where a makeshift shelter besides a fishery was set on fire even as fresh prohibitory orders under Section 144 CRPc were clamped at nine places of five gram panchayats for restoring normalcy, official sources said on Friday.
The villagers at Bermajur, mostly the women armed with sticks and brooms were seen arguing with a police contingent. They alleged that Sirajuddin Sheikh, brother of absconding Sahjahan Sheikh, has grabbed their cultivated land, flattened many kutcha houses, and later converted those into fish farms, locally called bheri.
It was not known immediately who was behind the torching of the makeshift shelter, which belonged to Sirajuddin, who allegedly had threatened the local people last evening, the protesting villagers told a police officer.
Police also set up camps in the regions and assured the villagers to look into their problems.
ADG, South Bengal, Supratim Sarkar was also seen in the region monitoring the situation along with the Basirhat SP, sources said.
A BJP delegation headed by MP Locket Chatterjee was stopped by the police at Bhojerhat on their way to Sandeshkhali. Police said fresh prohibitory orders were clamped on Thursday night at nine places of five gram panchayat areas.
Meanwhile, a six-member National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) team visited the troubled area to assess the situation after talking to the villagers and the local administration. The commission has three women members and as many men, who have been escorted by the central armed forces.
The commission has already issued notices to the chief secretary and the director general of police, seeking reports within four weeks on the violence in Sandeshkhali and the action taken or proposed to be taken against the perpetrators of crimes. UNI PC AKS SY SSP
