Eight injured in college clash

Updated on: Saturday, January 09, 2010

Kolkata: The campus of Hari Mohan Ghosh College and its adjoining areas in Garden Reach turned into a battlefield on Thursday afternoon when members of rival students’ organisations clashed over filing of nomination forms for the institution’s students’ union election.

At least eight people, including two cops, were injured in the clash. Members of the warring groups had firearms and bombs in their hands. Thursday’s clash is the third violent confrontation between rival students in Kolkata colleges in the recent past. The earlier two happened at Kasba and Shyambazar in December.

Senior police officers rushed to the spot along with two special units of Kolkata Police’s Rapid Action Force and managed to control the mob.

Soon after the clash, leaders from both political parties — Trinamool Congress and CPM — went to the spot. Trinamool leader Partha Chatterjee and Firhad Hakim alleged that CPM-backed criminals played a key role in the clash and injured six of their supporters. “Six persons have been admitted to SSKM Hospital with pellet wounds,’’ said Jawed Shamim, Joint CP( HQ).

Police said that trouble broke out around 1.30 pm on Thursday on the campus on Paharpur Road. Members of Trinamool Chhatra Parishad alleged that SFI members tore off nomination forms of TMCP candidates. They put up a roadblock against the “SFI atrocities”.

The SFI supporters allegedly asked the TMCP supporters to clear the blockade. This sparked an altercation which soon turned into a pitched battle.

Eight injured in college clash

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