One arrested in Barasat eve teasing incident

Barasat/Kolkata, Feb 17 (PTI) A wanted criminal wasarrested today in connection with the murder of 16-year-oldRajib Das by some drunken youths at Barasat town in North 24Parganas district.

Chandan Roy was arrested from his hideout at Habra inNorth 24-Parganas district, police said. He had earlier facedarrests on charges of robbery and drug peddling.

West Bengal Home Secretary G D Goutama said thearrested youth was being interrogated by CID and police forstabbing to death Das who had resisted the drunken hoodlumsfrom molesting his sister.

Goutama said after a meeting with Chief MinisterBuddhadeb Bhattacharjee, where the chief secretary and DG werealso present, that more people would be arrested soon.

He said reports of the district magistrate and the SPhad reached the government.

DIG (Presidency Range) Siddhinath Gupta said, "Roywill be taken to the place, where the crime took place, toreconstruct the murder scene before being produced at thecourt tomorrow."

Rajib''s sister Rinku Das, who was present with herbrother during the incident, was taken to the police stationto identify the accused, a senior police officer said.

A 12-hour bandh called by Opposition SUCI in the areatoday evoked good response. While Trinamool Congress did notoppose the bandh, Congress threw its support to it.

Seventy-nine Trinamool supporters were arrested fordemonstrating in front of the state secretariat demandingChief Minister Bhattacharjee''s resignation. Later they werereleased on bail.

In the morning Tourism Minister Manab Mukherjee''s carwas held up for some time at Madhyamgram in the district todaywhen a Trinamool Congress procession was passing by, policesaid.

Faced with a massive public outcry, the stategovernment had yesterday asked the state CID to probe Rajib''skilling.

The chief minister yesterday visited Rajib''s residenceand met his parents, sister and grandmother yesterday as thebrutal murder quickly took on a political colour with theCongress demanding Bhattacharjee''s resignation.

Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Roy also visited theresidence.