Congress leaders detained for enforcing bandh in Panchla

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LOCALCORRESPONDENT

15 March, 2008 08:48:00

Two local Congress leaders were arrested for forcibly enforcing bandh in Panchla in Howrah on Friday. The Congress had called a bandh today to protest against the Thursday’s arrest of Panchla gram panchayat pradhan Hafizullah Sheikh in connection with the March 10 clashes between the two communities.

The police said that Congress leaders Gulshan Mallik and Samir Faujdar were arrested for setting up roadblocks on the Mumbai-Howrah NH-6 and the Amta-Ranihati state highway.

The bandh met with a moderate success with most business establishments keeping their shops closed. Students stayed away from schools and colleges. But the West Bengal Higher Secondary exams were not affected since no exam was scheduled for today. On March 10, clashes had broken out in Panchla and adjoining villages after over 100 youths attacked the traders here following an altercation between them. Nearly 25 houses were gutted and over 30 shops were ransacked leading to the imposition of prohibitory orders in the area. A total of 11 persons were also arrested in this connection.

The prohibitory orders are still in place in the area during the night.

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