44 arrested for demonstration before secretariat in Bengal

Kolkata, Dec 18 (UNI) Police arrested 44 political activists after supporters of the SUCI and the Samajwadi Party staged a snap demonstration in front of the state Secretariat at Writers' Buildings today.

The agitators were demonstrating in the prohibited area in protest against the alleged murder of a teenaged girl, whose body was found inside the proposed site for the Tata Motors' small car factory at Singur in Hooghly district.

Shouting slogans against the incident involving the girl, who was said to be an active member of 'Singur Krishi Jami Raksha Committee', a platform of several organisations opposed to acquisition of agricultural land, the demonstrators gave police a tough time as a number of women activists of the SUCI grappled with policemen to resist arrest.

Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee was inside his chamber when the incident took place.

Police promptly closed the central gate and took position while preventing the demonstrators from getting inside.

UNI KDG SJC VD GC1843