KOLKATA: Sub-inspector Ritan Das of Kasba police station, whose actions during Wednesday’s scuffle with protesting SSC candidates triggered widespread outrage, has been taken off active duty pending an inquiry. The development comes after police commissioner Manoj Verma ordered a probe into the incident. Deputy commissioner (SSD) Bidisha Kalita has been assigned to submit a detailed report.
Das, who joined the force in 2010, has submitted his version of events to senior officers. He reportedly said that he acted in a moment of panic after protesters allegedly snatched his baton, broke his glasses, and punched him, leaving him isolated from his team.
The episode has caused a rare rift within Kolkata Police, a unit known for standing by its own. While some officers defended Das, calling it a "temporary lapse" in a high-stress situation, others felt he overstepped a line, especially given that the demonstrators were teachers—a group that commands social respect.
A section of officers criticised Das’s conduct, calling it avoidable and a breach of discipline.
“Despite provocations, our training teaches us not to defend in a manner that flouts the rulebook. This essentially could have been avoided as many common Kolkatans have yet again begun comparing the incident with the RG Kar vandalism,” said a serving officer-in-charge.
Others felt Das may have lost sight of the deep social sentiment attached to the teaching profession.
“There are certain sentiments that we need to value in this city. One is the respect for teachers. Not all law-and-order assignments can have one solution,” said another officer.
Those defending Das said he acted in self-defence after being attacked.
“With not even his lathi with him, he felt he would be attacked again. By then, he had been punched twice in his ears. He could have run away and let them vandalise the office, like at RG Kar, or retaliate and control the situation,” said a colleague.
When approached for comments, Das remained tight-lipped.
“My seniors will brief you,” he said. Asked if he was following orders, he responded, “You will have to ask my seniors.”
Top officers at Lalbazar said the probe was ongoing.
“A departmental inquiry has not been initiated against Das yet. A decision will be taken after we get reports from commanding officers,” an official said.
Meanwhile, teacher Amit Ranjan Bhuniya, who was reportedly kicked during the scuffle, denied claims that Das’s baton was snatched.
“...cops arrived and told us to move out. Without any provocation, they baton-charged to disperse us...”
'The kickgate episode'
The “kickgate” episode has sparked widespread outrage, leading to twin protests on Thursday. One group of unemployed SSC candidates launched a relay hunger strike outside the SSC office in Salt Lake, while another organised a rally from Sealdah to Esplanade.
Over 50 protestors set up a temporary camp outside the SSC building and began their hunger strike early morning, demanding a public release of mirror images of all OMR sheets and a transparent identification process for tainted and untainted candidates.
Suman Biswas, one of the protest leaders, said, “As long as the segregation is not done and the mirror images of the OMR sheets of all candidates are not made public, we will continue our hunger strike. If the govt is serious about protecting untainted candidates, they must act now.”
Support for the teachers swelled as BJP leaders including former HC judge and MP Abhijit Gangopadhyay, and actor-politicians Rupa Ganguly and Rudranil Ghosh, visited the protest site.
In a separate protest, nearly 500 terminated teachers and non-teaching staff, whose appointments were invalidated by the Supreme Court over irregularities, marched against alleged “police brutality.”
Moumita Sarkar, a physical science teacher from Nadia, said, “We are surprised at their brutal attack on protesting teachers. How can we trust any verbal assurance when our jobs were terminated by the apex court? We want the govt to present solid evidence in court, including the OMR sheets.”
Later in the day, a larger protest involving around 750 individuals—including teachers, civil society members, and CPM supporters—marched from Sealdah through College Street and BB Ganguly Street, eventually gathering for a sit-in at Dorina Crossing in Esplanade.
Among them was Pratima Roy, a Sanskrit teacher from Alipurduar, who joined the protest with her two-year-old son. “The CM’s speech at Netaji Indoor Stadium was vague. We refuse to be volunteers. We demand our jobs back. Even my husband, who is a police officer, was shocked by how we were treated at the Kasba DI office.”
Swapan Kumar Mondal, a former mathematics teacher, showed injuries sustained during Wednesday’s confrontation, “I barely escaped being hit by police batons. This kind of treatment was unimaginable. We are victims of the SSC’s incompetence and the govt’s negligence. Protest is now our only option.”