5 more in police net for throwing stones at Shashi Panja’s house
Times of India | 16 March 2026
Kolkata: Five BJP workers, caught on CCTV and mobile footage pelting stones at the house of minister Shashi Panja on Saturday, were arrested on Sunday. The attack occurred when BJP supporters, en route to PM Narendra Modi's brigade rally, targeted her Girish Park residence.
With these arrests, the total number of people detained rose to nine, as police continued investigations into three separate FIRs—one filed by the police and the other two lodged by the TMC and BJP respectively. All nine were produced before a Bankshall court and were remanded to four days of police custody.
At least six cops, including the OC of Bowbazar PS, and many Trinamool and BJP supporters were injured in the mayhem that continued on one of the city's major arterial roads for close to one hour on Saturday afternoon. Minister Panja, herself injured, took shelter inside her home right on the thoroughfare, as her aides and some cops bolted the door from inside and barricaded themselves.
Among the nine accused, Lalta Prasad Jaiswal, Prasun Patra, Vicky Bera, and Rajesh Kr Singh were arrested from Sovabazar on Saturday evening. The remaining five—Govinda Karmakar, Debjit Das, Sunny Dey, Charanjit Singha, and Krishanu Bose—were taken into custody from their homes in Baranagar early on Sunday.
All were charged under multiple sections of the BNS Act, related to attempt to murder, causing grievous hurt with dangerous weapons, unlawful assembly using violence, obstruction of public servants, criminal force against public servants, and mischief. Additional charges were filed under the PDPP Act and the West Bengal Maintenance of Public Order Act.
BJP councillor and party functionary Sajal Ghosh said, except for Bera, all the accused are BJP party workers. The state counsel noted that police vehicles were also damaged and sought police custody of the accused till March 27. The magistrate, however, granted custody till March 19.
The defence contended that the arrests were selective and politically motivated.