RAIGANJ, April 18: More than 24 hours have passed since a fruit seller was shot dead and a contractor was injured at Mohanbati Bazaar in Raiganj yet police have failed to arrest the criminals.
In protest against police inactivity the members of Mohanbati Bazaar Babsayee Samity have called a 12-hour bandh in Mohanbati Bazaar on Saturday. The members of West Dinajpur Chamber of Commerce (WDCC), a trade body of both North and South Dinajpur districts have decided to support this bandh.
The president of Mohanbati Bazaar Babsayee Samity Mr Jayanta Som said, For the last few years Mohanbati Bazaar has turned into a hinterland of anti-socials. Previously we requested the police to take measures but they remained silent to our problems. One innocent fruit seller was killed in broad daylight and a contractor was shot and seriously injured in front of the police post. If conditions remain the same, people stop visiting this marketplace and businessmen will be affected.
Mr Som announced the business bandh, demanding the immediate arrest of the criminals along with requesting security for businessmen in Mohanbati Bazaar.
The general secretary of WDCC, Mr Jainarayan Somani said, In Raiganj a large number of firearms have reached a section of youth. They are extorting money from contractors using the weapons. They are even managing construction work after taking engineers at gunpoint.
A few years ago we asked the district administration to distribute tender forms of construction to those who did not have a criminal record. At the same time we requested the police to conduct repeated raids against anti-socials and seize their arms. But our requests were not heeded. We support the Saturday bandh call of Mohanbati Bazaar Committee against police inactivity, Mr Somani said.
The North Dinajpur police super Mr SB Purnapatra said the accused criminals are absconding. However police are doing their best to arrest the criminals.