The Kolkata police on Monday arrested two more people over the NEET protest violence, even as they paraded five of the 14 accused arrested earlier and reconstructed the crime scene. The accused were made to walk barefoot.
Each of the paraded accused narrated what happened during the protest on Friday, from where they had come, and what they did afterwards.
The police identified the two accused who were the last to be arrested as Wakar Azam from Karaya and Javed Akhtar from Nadia. Neither of them is a student, the police said.
The violence broke out during a protest march from Sealdah to Dorina Crossing, and journalists and police personnel were allegedly targeted. According to sources, the investigators are examining CCTV footage from the scene, media videos, eyewitness statements, and digital evidence. The police believe the reconstruction of the incident will help clarify the role of the accused and provide important clues.
The FIR alleges that, following instructions from protest leaders, demonstrators hurled water bottles, shoes, sticks, and stones at police personnel, journalists covering the protest, and passers-by. Several journalists and police personnel were injured.
The police are also investigating whether the accused infiltrated the protest to trigger violence or if there was a larger conspiracy behind the incident.
Md Afroz’s alleged TMC links
Among the five accused was Md Afroz, who was paraded in Bermuda shorts. The the police allege he had close links with Metiaburuz MLA Abdul Khaleque Molla, pointing to social media pictures of the accused standing with the Trinamool Congress leader. Afroz had worked for the TMC during elections, according to locals.
Khaleque Molla, who belongs to the TMC rebel faction, has distanced himself from Afroz, as has the Mamata Banerjee faction of the Opposition party.
The police first registered a suo moto case over the violence and vandalism. They have registered seven cases regarding the protest, which various Left-wing student and youth organisations had organised allegedly without police permission.
The protest was held in solidarity with a nationwide movement against the alleged irregularities in NEET and other competitive exams. The protests were later withdrawn after Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned, accepting the protesters’ demand.