The chief judicial magistrate’s court here on Wednesday remanded former INTTUC leader Prasenjit Roy in nine days of police custody in connection with the vandalism at the Inland Container Depot near the New Jalpaiguri (NJP) station.
Roy had been arrested from Tinsukia in Assam a few days ago. Hundreds of INTTUC supporters had rampaged through the dry port on February 4.
When Roy was brought to the court around 2pm, hundreds of supporters raised slogans hailing him.
“The party should think about his contribution and bring him back to his post at the NJP. Otherwise, it might impact our vote bank at the NJP and in the adjoining areas,” said a supporter.
Roy said he was not present during the vandalism. “It was an undesirable incident and as the local Trinamul leader, I was expelled to ensure that the party’s image is not besmirched.”
His counsel Bidyut Ghosh said police should collect the CCTV footage of Roy’s home. “He was at home and not at the spot where the incident happened,” the lawyer said.
Mrinmoy Banerjee, the assistant public prosecutor, said 14 persons altogether had been arrested so far in connection with the vandalism and two of them released on bail. “Eleven people are in judicial custody. All of them, including Roy, will be produced in the court again on March 5,” he said.
