Three police personnel injured in Kolkata as anti-encroachment protesters ‘pelt stones’

Three police personnel were injured during a clash between Kolkata police and protesters at the Park Street area in Kolkata, West Bengal.A protest against the recent bulldozer action in Kolkata's Tiljala area turned violent on Sunday, with demonstrators allegedly throwing stones at police personnel in the Park Circus area.Heavy police and central force deployment was made in the area, and a route march was conducted to maintain law and order.Kolkata Additional ACP Ashesh Biswas said, "Some people tried to block the road. It was an illegal gathering. The police were trying to disperse them, and there was some stone pelting at them.""Three of our colleagues were injured. We have taken action as the police. We will take legal action later on. We will not spare anyone," Biswas was quoted by news agency ANI as saying.Why were people protesting?According to news agency PTI, bulldozers were rolled into Kolkata's Tiljala last Wednesday as part of the West Bengal government's demolition drive against illegal structures following the factory fire that killed two persons.On Sunday, people gathered near Park Circus Seven Point Crossing to protest against the demolition and attempted to block roads.As police tried to disperse the "unlawful assembly", a section of the crowd allegedly resorted to stone-pelting, triggering chaos in the area.View full ImagePolice officials carry out a lathi charge on a protester after the clash erupts between locals and police at Kolkata’s Park Circus Seven-Point Crossing, in Kolkata on Sunday.(ANI)Several vehicles parked along the roadside, including those carrying central forces, were vandalised during the violence, police told PTI.Personnel of the Kolkata Police and those of the central forces were deployed in strength in the area following the incident.They conducted route marches and patrolled the adjoining areas to prevent any further escalation and restore normalcy.View full ImageKolkata, May 17 (ANI): Rapid Action Force deployed after a clash erupts between locals and police at Park Circus Seven-Point Crossing, in Kolkata on Sunday. (ANI Photo)(Saikat Paul)The Kolkata Police's Additional Commissioner Ashesh Biswas said action had already been initiated against those involved."Some people tried to block the road. It was an illegal gathering. The police were trying to disperse them, and there was some pelting of stones. Three of our colleagues were injured," Biswas told reporters."We have already arrested a few people," he said.The officer also said the police acted according to standard operating procedures, and efforts were underway to identify all those involved in the violence."There was an attack on the police. We will see who is behind it and arrest everyone. Strict legal action will be taken," he added.Police did not immediately disclose the number of people arrested or whether any protesters were injured during the clashes.About the AuthorLivemintFor about a decade, Livemint—News Desk has been a credible source for authentic and timely news, and well-researched analysis on national news, business, personal finance, corporates, politics and geopolitics. We bring the latest updates on all the listed companies on BSE and NSE, startups, mutual funds, Union ministries, geopolitics, and untapped human interest stories from around the world, helping our readers to stay informed on the latest developments around the globe. Our Coverage Areas 1. Companies: Comprehensive news and analysis on listed and unlisted companies, corporate announcements, corporate chatter, C-suite, business trends, hiring alerts, layoffs, work-life balance, world's top billionaires and richest and more. 2. Personal finance: Insights into mutual funds, small savings schemes like - PPF, SSY, post office savings scheme, stock to watch, personal loans, credit cards, top bank FDs, real estate, income tax and more. 3. Politics: Comprehensive coverage of general elections, state elections and bypolls, Lok Sabha, Vidhan Sabha, Parliament,