Tehatta in Nadia on Thursday limped back to normalcy even as the administration prevented the Left Front and BJP leaders from visiting the violence-torn town located near Indo-Bangladesh border. However, the residents of Tehatta are seething over the behaviour of the police both during and after the firing incident in which one person was killed. The people rejected the police claim that the police opened fire in self-defence. They also complained of excesses during the search operation the police launched to arrest those who had allegedly attacked the police.
In a significant development, sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) Sailesh on Thursday broke his silence and admitted that he himself had fired upon the mob from his service revolver. Dr Shailesh claimed that he was forced to open fire after being chased and attacked by a violent mob. Speaking to a Bengali news channel, Dr Shailesh said that the police first used mild lathicharge followed by teargas and rubber bullets.
“The mob chased me and I was forced to flee and take shelter in a house. A mob of over 300 people armed with bombs and firearms surrounded the house and I climbed onto the roof. When I realised that they were trying to break into the house then I opened fire exercising my right to self-defence,” he elaborated. Dr Sailesh claimed that someone from that crowd hurled a bomb and he suffered splinter injuries on his left hand.
When asked if he had informed the superior officers before opening fire, he said that there was no time. “The situation was so violent that it required immediate action otherwise we would have lost our lives,” he claimed. He said he fired three rounds. The local residents, however, disputed his claim. Even Opposition parties said that the police reacted in a hurry.
Local people also alleged that after the violence, the police unleashed a reign of terror. “They raided our homes, ransacked our furniture and manhandled men and women,” an elderly woman said.