Asansol loudspeaker row: Mob vandalize police outpost; cops resort to lathi charge, burst tear gas shells after stone pelting
Asansol: Unrest erupted in Asansol, West Bengal, late on Friday night. Tension spread across Jahangir Mohalla and surrounding areas—falling under the jurisdiction of the Asansol-Durgapur Police Commissionerate—on the night of Friday (May 15).
Acting on directives from the state government, the police administration had issued instructions in several parts of Asansol to keep the volume of loudspeakers at a low level. In connection with this, a dialogue had taken place earlier in the day between the police and local residents in the Railpar area.
In the evening, a large crowd gathered at the local police outpost. The mob pelted stones at the outpost and vandalized vehicles belonging to both the police and civilians. Several police personnel sustained injuries during the incident.
Following the acts of vandalism, a crowd congregated near the Kasai Mohalla outpost; reports subsequently emerged of stone-pelting and damage being inflicted upon police vehicles and motorcycles in that vicinity.
The situation escalated to such an extent that the police were compelled to resort to a lathi-charge (baton-charge) and fire tear gas shells. The Asansol Police have deployed additional forces to the area and have initiated an investigation into the matter.
Ruckus Created by Miscreants
Miscreants vandalized the computers and CCTV cameras at a police outpost. Large stones and bricks were found inside the outpost, and the entire contents were found scattered in disarray. Amidst the tension, the miscreants also damaged vehicles parked in the vicinity. In a retaliatory measure, the police were compelled to resort to a baton charge and fire tear gas shells to disperse the crowd.
Currently, the atmosphere remains tense within the jurisdiction of the Asansol-Durgapur Police Commissionerate. Paramilitary forces have been deployed in Asansol. The forces also conducted a march across the entire area to maintain peace. At present, the situation remains under control.
Police examining CCTV Footage
The Asansol Police fired tear gas shells at the scene and successfully brought the situation under control. Providing an update on the situation, Deputy Commissioner of Police V.G. Satish Pasumarthi stated, "The situation is now under control. Everything is firmly under police control, and there are no further issues. We are currently analyzing the CCTV footage we have obtained to identify those involved; legal action will be taken against all individuals found to have participated in these incidents."