A woman, who had accused the police of torturing her, has been remanded in judicial custody along with five others after they were arrested for allegedly blocking a highway and attacking the police with bombs.
Hitunnesha Bibi, who is a relative of a BJP activist, her husband Seikh Sabir and mother-in law Najera Bibi, who were arrested along with three others on Saturday, were produced before a Suri court yesterday and remanded in judicial custody till July 17.
At the Suri chief judicial magistrate’s court yesterday, assistant public prosecutor Bikash Paitundi said, “The police have charged the accused under Sections 3 and 4 of the Explosive Substances Act as those who blocked the Bolpur-Suri state highway on Saturday had hurled bombs at the police.”
Her lawyer Nirmal Chandra Mandal alleged that the police fabricated the charges to take revenge on her.
The police slapped sections 143 (punishment for unlawful assembly), 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) and 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) under IPC and sections 3 and 4 under Explosive Substances Act on the arrested.
Several of the charges are non-bailable.
While remanding them to judicial custody, the magistrate directed the police to appear before court on Wenesday with the case diary. The court also allowed Hitunnesha Bibi’s plea to keep her minor son with her in jail.
Hardly a couple of weeks ago, the woman had identified a police officer and constables who had allegedly tortured her during a police raid in search of her wanted BJP relative.
On Saturday, the villagers of Sattor had alleged that bombs and other ammunition were kept in a Trinamool Congress party office. The villagers alleged that despite repeated request, the police did not break into the party office and recovered the bombs.
The villagers then in presence of media persons broke the door and “recovered” bombs kept in plastic container and bags.
The villagers then blocked Suri-Bolpur road to protest ‘police inaction.’ The police arrested six persons, including Hitinnesha Bibi and her husband on Saturday, for allegedly putting up the road blockade and attacking the police with bombs.
A BJP delegation visited Sattor area today.
