Tension gripped Margram in West Bengal’s Birbhum district during a Dashami idol immersion procession when a shocking act of violence broke out on Thursday evening.
A village policeman allegedly stuffed a burning firecracker into the face of a young man, leaving him severely injured.
The victim has been identified as Hemant Bagdi, who was immediately rescued by locals and admitted to the Rampurhat Hospital.
According to hospital sources, a large portion of Hemant’s mouth, both inside and outside, has been badly burnt. He is currently undergoing treatment.
The accused, identified as Sajal Maji, a village policeman, was arrested soon after the incident.
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Eyewitnesses said the attack occurred amid a large crowd in the Chandpara area of Margram, where immersion activities were underway. The sudden commotion forced authorities to stop the remaining immersion proceedings.
Family members of Hemant said they were unable to understand what triggered the assault. Police officials have begun questioning both Sajal and Hemant to determine whether a personal argument or altercation led to the attack.
The incident has once again brought to the fore the role of Bengal’s civic police (village police) under scrutiny. Introduced in 2012, a year after the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress (TMC) came to power, the village police system was meant to employ local youths on a contractual basis to assist in law and order at the grassroots level. However, the opposition has long alleged that their primary function was to monitor and collect information on rival political parties.
Meanwhile, outrage is brewing among locals over the use of brute force by a civic police member during a cultural and religious celebration.
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