Kolkata police to use CCTV footage to identify outsiders at kasba protest.
Times of India | 13 April 2025
Kolkata: The Kolkata Police have decided to seek the help of not just CCTV cameras monitored by the city force, but also private ones, to try and identify the movements of "outsiders" outside the Kasba District Inspector's office on April 9.
"We have approached some establishments and individuals, whose premises lie between Ballygunge Railway Station and the Kasba DI office, seeking footage between 11 AM and 12 noon. We also plan to send some footage to forensic experts for matching some faces present on that day with some footage collected from previous stirs that took place in the past few months. None of these suspects are teachers," claimed a police source.
The cops have also accumulated the footage from the shoulder cams of officers present during the stir. "Also under our radar are those who raised the inflammatory slogans of burning down the office and those who later blocked Gariahat Crossing later on that day. We will be sending notices to these persons – as and when required – post April 16," said an investigating officer.
Sources said that sub-inspector Ritan Das, posted with Kasba Police, who was at the centre of a controversy for allegedly kicking a protesting teacher at the DI office, cited injuries and body aches and sought medical leave. While Lalbazar neither confirmed nor denied the development, they reiterated that no separate report on Das is being prepared.
The teachers, however, have contested the police claim of "outsiders" being present along with them. One such teacher, Mehbub Mondal, said, "There were no outsiders in the Kasba rally that day. It was just us."
The Commissioner of Police, Manoj Verma, on Friday claimed that video footage confirmed that outsiders were involved. "We are collecting CCTV and video footage. This will continue for a few more days. Arrests are not important at the moment. It is a part of a process. At present, we are concentrating on gathering important evidence," said CP Verma.
According to police, the protesters gathered at Ballygunge Station around 12:11 PM and broke through the first barricade at 12:18 PM, damaging a lock a minute later using concrete slabs. By 12:20 PM, "provocation to break the lock and set the office on fire" was made. Two minutes later, confrontations with police began near the final collapsible gate. Top cops have emphasised that police maintained calm initially and only responded with force after being provoked.
**BOX:**
- Kolkata Police seeking CCTV footage (both police and private) to identify "outsiders" near Kasba DI office on April 9
- Police collecting footage between 11 AM-12 noon from Ballygunge Railway Station to Kasba DI office
- Footage to be sent to forensic experts for face matching with previous protests
- Police reviewing shoulder cam footage from officers present during the incident
- Sub-inspector Ritan Das sought medical leave citing injuries
- Teachers deny the presence of outsiders at the protest
- Timeline shows protesters gathered at 12:11 PM, with confrontations beginning at 12:22 PM MSID:: 120236656 413 |
Kolkata: The Kolkata Police have decided to seek the help of not just CCTV cameras monitored by the city force, but also private ones, to try and identify the movements of "outsiders" outside the Kasba District Inspector's office on April 9.
"We have approached some establishments and individuals, whose premises lie between Ballygunge Railway Station and the Kasba DI office, seeking footage between 11 AM and 12 noon. We also plan to send some footage to forensic experts for matching some faces present on that day with some footage collected from previous stirs that took place in the past few months. None of these suspects are teachers," claimed a police source.
The cops have also accumulated the footage from the shoulder cams of officers present during the stir. "Also under our radar are those who raised the inflammatory slogans of burning down the office and those who later blocked Gariahat Crossing later on that day. We will be sending notices to these persons – as and when required – post April 16," said an investigating officer.
Sources said that sub-inspector Ritan Das, posted with Kasba Police, who was at the centre of a controversy for allegedly kicking a protesting teacher at the DI office, cited injuries and body aches and sought medical leave. While Lalbazar neither confirmed nor denied the development, they reiterated that no separate report on Das is being prepared.
The teachers, however, have contested the police claim of "outsiders" being present along with them. One such teacher, Mehbub Mondal, said, "There were no outsiders in the Kasba rally that day. It was just us."
The Commissioner of Police, Manoj Verma, on Friday claimed that video footage confirmed that outsiders were involved. "We are collecting CCTV and video footage. This will continue for a few more days. Arrests are not important at the moment. It is a part of a process. At present, we are concentrating on gathering important evidence," said CP Verma.
According to police, the protesters gathered at Ballygunge Station around 12:11 PM and broke through the first barricade at 12:18 PM, damaging a lock a minute later using concrete slabs. By 12:20 PM, "provocation to break the lock and set the office on fire" was made. Two minutes later, confrontations with police began near the final collapsible gate. Top cops have emphasised that police maintained calm initially and only responded with force after being provoked.
**BOX:**
- Kolkata Police seeking CCTV footage (both police and private) to identify "outsiders" near Kasba DI office on April 9
- Police collecting footage between 11 AM-12 noon from Ballygunge Railway Station to Kasba DI office
- Footage to be sent to forensic experts for face matching with previous protests
- Police reviewing shoulder cam footage from officers present during the incident
- Sub-inspector Ritan Das sought medical leave citing injuries
- Teachers deny the presence of outsiders at the protest
- Timeline shows protesters gathered at 12:11 PM, with confrontations beginning at 12:22 PM MSID:: 120236656 413 |