Violence-hit Kankinara in Bengal tense, many held

Amidst fresh violence and prohibitory orders at Kankinara of the North 24 Parganas district in West Bengal on Tuesday, the area wore a deserted look on Tuesday and shops remained closed.

While police pickets have been set up at important places to keep an eye on the miscreants, the police and the Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel marched through the area that comes under the Barrackpore industrial belt.

Prohibitory orders under Section 144 were imposed in the Kankinara and Bhatpara areas on Monday following bomb blasts. Several people had been arrested, said an officer of Bhatpara police station. The police have also recovered some crude bombs from the area. 

On Monday, a mob attacked a local hospital. Doctors and other hospital employees protected the patients, the OPD (out-patient department) patients ran away to save themselves. 

"The guard was beaten up, computers were damaged. The mob also looted money from the cash box. We have no safety here," said a witness.

On Tuesday, the hospital wore a deserted look and the adjoining school remained shut.

In a similar incident in Bhatpara on June 20, two lives were lost and many others were injured. The police had to fire to bring the situation under control.

Residents of Kakinara and Bhatpara have been witnessing violent clashes since the general elections.
IANS