A neighbourhood in Behala in southwest Kolkata turned into a battlefield on Tuesday night as two groups clashed allegedly following a dispute over ‘control’ of the locality.
At least three persons, including a woman, suffered head injuries and vehicles parked on a road were smashed during the clash.
Residents of Charaktala, the Behala pocket that witnessed the violence, said they heard multiple gunshots and explosions and alleged that the violence took place in the presence of police.
Videos that have emerged suggest the police were trying in vain to pacify the warring groups. Twelve people were arrested and two cases started on Wednesday.
Asked why the police allowed the violence, a senior officer of the south-west division said their force was initially outnumbered.
“Initially, when we heard about an incident in the area, a team went to conduct an inquiry. But reaching there they realised that they needed reinforcement. In a few minutes, more force arrived and the mob fled. We have arrested 12 persons till now. Among the arrested were members of both groups,” the officer said.
Residents said both sides publicly flaunted their support for the Trinamul Congress on Wednesday.
Local Trinamul councillor (of Ward 121) Rupak Ganguly, however, said the violence had “nothing to do with Trinamul”.
“Both (the groups) could be from the party but that does not mean that the party told them to fight. I strongly condemn the incident. But the root cause of the incident is their personal rivalry. It has got nothing to do with the party,” Ganguly said.
Conversations with residents of Charaktala, police and the warring groups suggested that at the root of the rift was a rivalry for the spoils of the syndicate business, a local fair and a host of illegal activities in the area.
Anima Ghosh, a resident of Charaktala, said trouble started when men from the neighbouring Unchu Danga colony started smashing windshields of vehicles parked on a road.
“I heard the noise and went out to see what was happening. The police van had arrived and I thought it would be safe to step out. I went closer to the spot where people from Unchu Danga were creating trouble. Some of them were firing and some hurling bombs. Suddenly a group of men started chasing me and my brother,” Anima said.
She said the gang chased them into her home and beat her on her head with bamboo sticks.
“Initially, the men who were chasing us entered our home. Then others barged in, too, and started beating us at random,” Anima said.
A few residents of Charaktala, however, said Anima and her brother Milan Ganguly were targeted because of a rivalry between her husband Ganesh Ghosh, alias Laltu, a promoter allegedly close to Trinamul, and Babun Banerjee, a resident of Unchu Danga who is also said to be close to the ruling party.
A few residents of Charaktala, however, said Anima and her brother Milan Ganguly were targeted because of a rivalry between her husband Ganesh Ghosh, alias Laltu, a promoter allegedly close to Trinamul, and Babun Banerjee, a resident of Unchu Danga who is also said to be close to the ruling party.
“The rivalry between the two groups is nothing new. Yesterday, Babun’s men started the violence. The other group retaliated,” said a resident who did not want to be named.
Ganesh denied the allegations against him. “The clash did not have anything to do with me. These people have a tendency to capture the entire Ward 121,” he said.
An officer of Behala police station said Babun had fled the locality.
The Telegraph visited the spot on Wednesday and found several vehicles damaged. A police post has been set up in the area.
The area, where apartment blocks and slums exist side by side, has been witnessing a real estate boom and has emerged as a lucrative destination for syndicates involved in supplying construction materials.
Allegations have surfaced that the two groups have long been fighting over the control of syndicate business, bagging contracts for civil projects in the neighbourhood and sharing the spoils of businesses in Ward 121.