Police officer assault: SFI leader summoned, CPI-M calls for protests
The Statesman | 11 July 2025
Kolkata Police have issued a summons to Students’ Federation of India (SFI) Kolkata district president, Barnana Mukherjee, for allegedly slapping the officer-in-charge (OC) of Jorasanko police station, Mrinal Kanti Mukhopadhyay, during Wednesday’s general strike.
According to police sources, both the Trinamul Congress (TMC) and Jorasanko police lodged formal complaints against Mukherjee shortly after the incident. The 24-hour notice requires her to appear for questioning at the station. In response, the SFI has denied the allegation, claiming the police officer physically assaulted Mukherjee first, and she merely protested the aggression. Senior CPI-M leader Shatarup Ghosh defended the student leader, saying she would seek legal recourse if necessary and visit police station accordingly. He also demanded answers from the state government about the lack of action against other incidents of alleged police brutality. “Why has no action been taken against OC Asim Gop, who allegedly slapped our senior party worker Mazedar Rahman in Bansihari, South Dinajpur, without provocation? Or against the Anubrata Mondal who abused his position in the Birbhum district citing police officer’s wife and his mother’s name?” Ghosh asked.
The CPI-M state secretary, Mohammed Salim accused the ruling TMC government of orchestrating a widespread crackdown during yesterday’s nationwide general strike. “In Kolkata, women protestors were allegedly harassed by male police personnel. Is this acceptable in any civilised democracy?” Mr Salim said, announcing a three-day state-wide protest campaign beginning Thursday.
On Wednesday, SFI leader Srijan Bhattacharya and several others were arrested during a rally in support of the strike in Jadavpur. The police filed attempted murder charges against 11 demonstrators, drawing strong condemnation from trade union leaders. CITU West Bengal president Anadi Sahu and general secretary Jiyaul Alam called the charges “fabricated” and “a blatant attempt to crush democratic dissent.”
Yesterday, Avirup Chakraborty, state general secretary, TMCP, lodged an FIR demanding strict legal action against Ms Barnana Mukherjee, president of SFI Kolkata district, for her unlawful and unacceptable act of physically assaulting the on-duty officer.
“Such an attack on a police officer is a grave violation of law and order and cannot be tolerated in a civil society. No one is above the law, regardless of political affiliation. We, at TMCP, stand firmly with the law enforcement authorities and demand immediate justice,” said Avirup.