Kolkata, April 18 (PTI): Clashes broke out on Monday between two groups of people over control of a construction site in the southern part of the city, leaving at least eight injured, a senior police officer said.
Six people were arrested in connection with the “brawl that took place in two-to three phases” near TMC MP Sougata Roy’s residence in the Lake Gardens area, he said.
“We are looking for others involved in the incident. A huge team of Kolkata Police’s Anti Rowdy Section (ARS) are currently monitoring the situation in the area,” the officer said.
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“There is a new construction happening in the area. An old house is being demolished. The two groups engaged in scuffles to exert control of the construction site. Members from both the groups have suffered injuries,” he said.
According to police sources, members of the two groups or syndicates allegedly bore allegiance to the ruling TMC.
In West Bengal, syndicates, allegedly under the patronage of the ruling party, control the construction business. These syndicates apparently force promoters and contractors to buy construction materials, often of inferior quality, at high prices.
The senior officer told reporters that some of those who have sustained injuries have admitted to the fact that they were part of syndicates.
The TMC MP, when approached, said, “I have not seen such clashes in this area before. Such incidents were unheard of (in this area) even during the Railway Colony movement or the Naxalite period. I have been a resident of this area for more than 60 years. I had to call the local police and seek their intervention.
“Disagreements over distribution of dividends have led to the clash,” he said, adding that the incident left locals, mostly aged people, rattled.
