Three days after the clash between two rival groups in south Kolkata’s Golpark area that left two persons injured, the police on Wednesday arrested two more persons in connection with the case.
A total of 19 people have been apprehended following Sunday’s incidents of rioting, bombing, and gunfire, the police said, adding that the “kingpins” of the two clashing groups still remain at large.
During an operation on Tuesday evening, police caught two more suspects: Rakesh Banik and Rajeev Das (alias Sonu). Both the arrested accused are residents of Panchanantala Road, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Rabindra Sarobar Police Station.
Violence erupted around 8:30 pm on Sunday when around 100 to 150 people with their faces covered stormed Panchanantala in Golpark, where a club was organising a picnic. According to sources, the two groups clashed with firearms, bombs, and sharp weapons. In the stone pelting, police vehicles and local residents’ motorbikes were damaged. Police have recovered empty shell casings and remains of crude bombs from the street.
The police began their search immediately after the violence, arresting 10 people that same evening.
According to reports, the clash involved the followers of Biswajit Poddar (alias Sona Pappu) and the men of local businessman Bapi Halder. Local residents have repeatedly pointed fingers at a local strongman, Sona Pappu, and his gang, alleging they entered the area specifically to incite trouble. Babu Shona, who has been arrested as the main person behind the violence, is known to be very close to Shona Pappu. Since the incident there have been demands to arrest Pappu as well.
Shona Pappu, meanwhile on Wednesday, during a Facebook Live session claimed that he’s being wrongly implicated.
“Since the incident people are taking my name, but the reality is I was at home and on fast. I was busy in a puja. My wife did a Live, everybody saw. It was also captured in my home cameras. If I have pictures with someone does not mean I am involved in everything that some does. Suvendu Adhikari is having a picture with Rakesh Singh who is in jail. Why Adhikari is not being arrested in this case. I have a picture with Babu Shona. He is someone from my area and on different occasions he comes for some help,” he claimed during the social media session.