Locals in Sovabazar clash over visit to temple, 7 held

Kolkata: Two groups, including women, fought with each other in Sovabazar in north Kolkata on Tuesday after a tussle broke out between residents of two localities on Monday night. As they hurled stones and cold-drink bottles at each other, the traffic in the area came to a stand-still. Seven persons have been arrested.

Both sides were the followers of two female Trinamul Congress councillors in the area. Trouble broke out at around 11 pm on Monday, when some men and women of Tarikhana were walking home along Sovabazar Street after performing puja at Gangeshwar Temple at Ahiritola Ghat. A group of men and women from Bhanga Bustee got involved in a verbal duel with them about their visit to the temple.

The altercation quickly snowballed into a fight in front the Hatkhola post office, said additional commissioner of police (III) Supratim Sarkar. The police dispersed the fighting groups. At around 9.30 am on Tuesday, the same groups clashed again. Senior police officers rushed to the spot. Mr Sarkar added that seven persons were arrested by the Jorabagan police following complaints by both sides against each other.