Army vandalises Police station, beat up cops and abducted arrests

Kolkata, Jan 1 (UNI) Army jawans went berserk when they invaded a police station, beat up policemen, destroyed property and broke into the lock up to snatch away altogether 11 people, including two army officers, in the city early today, whipping up tension and a serious controversy.

Altogether 13 police personnel were injured in the attack.

The condition of a Sub-Inspector was stated to be serious.

According to official sources, taking a serious exception, the West Bengal Government had taken up the matter with the Centre for appropriate action.

The army authority ordered a three-member court of inquiry into the incident and promised necessary disciplinary action if anybody was found guilty.

Deputy Commissioner of Police(South) Ajay Kumar said a 20-strong group of army jawans,"armed and in uniform", came in three vehicles and carried out a virtual mayhem inside the Park Street Police Station breaking furniture, snapping telephone wires, destroying wireless sets and ransacking the room of the Additional Officer-in-Charge before snatching away the two officers, who were put up in lock up on the charge of eve teasing.

The jawans also set free nine other people, arrested on the charge of eve teasing during the late night new year bash in the city's posh locality.

The incident occurred after the Park Street police picked up Major C P Singh and Captain Mahesh of three Madras regiment from a five-star hotel following the charge of misbehaviour with women during a revelry in the banquet hall. The army officers also allegedly assaulted two security persons of the hotel who tried to intervene on receipt of a complaint from a woman.

Very soon, a band of army jawans, led by a Colonel came rushing from the Salt Lake army barrack and barged into the police station to go on a rampage. They beat up with the butts of their guns and kicked the police personnel taking them completely off guarded and broke into the lock up to take away their officers.

A large contingent of police rushed to the area following the incident.

"This is very shocking and totally unprecedented. We could not have thought of such an incident to take place in which a disciplined force in uniform would attack personnel of another disciplined force," Joint Commissioner of Police Kuldip Singh said.

He said police had registered cases against the two army officers on the charges of beating up security staff of the hotel and vandalising the police station, assaulting policemen and taking away the arrested persons.

However, army authority started visiting Park Street police station since morning and held talks with the police officers to ascertain the fact. Colonel N C Baruah, heading the court of inquiry, instituted later by the army authority, also held talks with police officers.

"The court of inquiry will go into the details of the situation that led to the incident. We promise necessary disciplinary action if anybody is found guilty," Defence spokesman Wing Commander R K Das said.

UNI