One killed in police firing

By Our Special Correspondent

KOLKATA, JUNE 20 One person was killed and two others injured when police fired at the casual workers before a jute mill at Bansberia in Hooghly district this morning.

The Chief Minister, Mr. Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, told the West Bengal Assembly today that the police fired five rounds to disperse the casual workers who had attacked them with brickbats in front of the Ganges Jute Mill in Bansberia.

Earlier, the Opposition Trinamul Congress and Congress had staged a walk-out demanding a statement from Mr. Bhattacharjee on the Bansberia incident.

Mr. Pankaj Banerjee, leader of the Opposition, had alleged that two mill workers were killed and 20 others were injured when the ``trigger-happy'' police opened fire on them.

Mr. Bhattacharjee told the House that the dead worker had been identified as Someswar Rao, 22, a casual worker of the mill. He had succumbed to the bullet injury in hospital. The two other injured workers were admitted to hospital.

The Chief Minister told the members that the violent incident occurred when the casual workers, with the help of certain outsiders, tried to enter the mill premises forcibly. They were agitating for sometime demanding ESI facilities and regularisation.

According to Mr. Bhattacharjee, the agitators suddenly became violent and started hurling stones at the police. They even torched two police vans. The police, in order to disperse the violent mob, opened fire as a result of which one person was killed.

He said the mill owners had already threatened to issue lock-out notice and the district administration promulgated orders under the Section 144 Cr.P.C. Police picket was posted near the mill gate. He said that 28 persons were arrested from the spot and senior police officials were camping in the area.

Mr. Pankaj Banerjee charged the ruling Left Front government with pursuing ``anti-worker'' policy saying the government should immediately take action against those responsible for firing.

Pandemonium broke out in the House as the Congress MLAs supported the Trinamul on the issue. The Speaker adjourned the House. He had earlier turned down the Opposition's demand for a statement. Later, however, he directed Mr. Bhattacharjee to make a statement on the incident.

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