Police official fires at protesters injuring one in East Midnapore

KOLKATA: At least one villager sustained bullet injury after, Manoranjan Ghosh, sub divisional police officer (SDPO) of Egra, East Midnapore district had opened fire at an agitating mob near his residence. The incident took place early in the morning today. Ghosh was later transferred out of the district following the incident.

According to sources, the villagers organised a Puja in front of the office-cum-residence of Ghosh. They started bursting sound crackers at around 2 am to which the SDPO objected. An argument broke between the police officer and the villagers, though the villagers, later agreed to stop bursting the crackers.

However, at around 6.30 am, a mob of around 300 villagers attacked the residence of the SDPO with stones and bricks. They pelted stones at his residence and broke several window glasses. Ghosh, who was residing there with his five year old daughter and wife, shifted them to other room and came out of the his residence to control the mob. The mob became more violent then and started jumping over the gate and boundary wall of his residence. Ghosh fired few rounds that hit a villager. He has reportedly told his seniors that he had fired in "self defense"

Reacting to the incident, the state government however transferred Ghosh to 'counter insurgency force'. An high level inquiry has been initiated into the matter.