Police come under attack in Howrah, two personnel injured

Kolkata: Two police personnel were injured as a mob hurled bricks and vandalised two security force vehicles after lawkeepers tried to enforce the lockdown in West Bengal’s Howrah district on Tuesday.

A police officer said the violence broke out when the police team stopped some youths wandering on Belilius Road in Tikiapara area amidst the lockdown.

When the police personnel chased the youths with batons and ordered them to go home, they started to argue, and the heated exchanges soon led to a scuffle.

A large mob then poured on to the streets, chased the policemen, threw bricks and vandalised two police jeeps.

As the tension spread, police reinforcements were rushed in, and the Rapid Action Force personnel deployed in the area.

State Forest Minister Rajiv Banerjee said strict action would be taken in the incident, which he described as “highly condemnable”.

Howrah district has been declared a red zone (area with a large number of coronavirus cases) .

A complete lockdown has been declared in 56 containment zones in the district.