Restrictions on assembly of five or more persons were imposed under Section 144 of the CrPC in Ekbalpore for three days starting Monday following clashes between two groups on Sunday night.

Forty persons have been arrested and charged with sections of rioting, damaging private and public property and attack on police officers.

Multiple cases have been registered with Ekbalpore police station against unknown persons.

Nineteen persons were arrested from the spot early on Sunday morning while the remaining were caught later in the day.

Police said four separate cases have been registered one of which is for allegedly removing a religious flag. Two persons have been arrested in this connection.

The remaining three cases are for alleged rioting, deterring public servants from performing duty, sections of the arms act and the explosives act.

“Total of 40 men have been arrested in connection with the four cases,” said an officer.

Nine policemen, including an IPS officer, have been injured.

The police said around six shops were vandalized on Sunday night and two motorcycles set ablaze.

Four taxis were damaged.

Two civilians were injured in the violence, but apparently did not need hospitalisation, the officer said.

On Monday night, the police said raids were still on to arrest others involved in the violence.

Several video footages have emerged of the vandals in action, from where cops are trying to identify the accused.

The clash took place in pockets of Momimpore in Ekbalpore followed by the ransacking of Ekbalpore police station.

Kolkata police commissioner Vineet Goyal on Monday issued a notification stating “..according to inputs and information received from credible sources, there are sufficient reasons for violent demonstrations/rallies/ meetings by a section of public or an organisation thereby causing a breach of peace, disturbance of public tranquility, health or safety, danger to human life as well as an obstruction to lawfully employed persons in the said area.”.

He was citing the reason Section 144 of the CrPC, 1973, was being imposed. The restriction area has been defined between Diamond Harbour Road in the east, Bhukailash Road in the west, Ekbalpore Lane in the north and Braunfield Road in the south.

The police said a clash broke out between two groups of people over alleged tearing of flags of a specific religion.

Over 100 people surrounded Ekbalpore police station.

Some of them entered the building and vandalised government property.

On Monday, BJP leader Sukanta Majumder was arrested from the Chingrighata crossing by a team of Kolkata police.

They said he was arrested on the basis of apprehension that his actions could lead to breach of peace and tranquility.

“The arrest was based on specific information that he (Majumder) was heading for the spot where there was violence last night. His presence could have aggravated the violence and hence was stopped. When he resisted, he had to be arrested,” said an officer in Lalbazar who did not wish to be named.