Two leaders affiliated with the Sangrami Joutho Mancha, a joint platform of protesting teachers and non-teaching staff, appeared before the Bidhannagar North Police Station on Thursday (May 22, 2025) after being summoned in connection with the violence outside Bikash Bhawan on May 15. The Calcutta High Court had earlier directed them to comply with the summons.
Indrajit Mondal, a leader representing teachers, and Sudip Konar, associated with Group D staff, were questioned by investigating officers for over an hour and a half. Both are part of the ongoing protest movement outside the West Bengal State Education Department headquarters, which has now entered its 16th day.
Mr. Konar denied any involvement in the violence that took place. “I was shocked to get the notice; I was at home on the day of the incident. We have met the police, we have assured that we will cooperate in all investigation,” he said.
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On the previous evening, several other members of the Deserving Teachers’ Rights Forum (DTRF), including Mehboob Mondal and two others, also appeared at the police station, accompanied by their legal counsel.
“They have to comply with the police notice. We do not have any issue facing the authorities. They may ask us many questions, but we do not fear answering them, because we also have many questions against their actions,” said Chintan Mondal, another DTRF leader. Protesters have termed the FIRs filed against them as attempts at “intimidation” and a strategy to weaken the ongoing agitation.
Though Justice Ghosh of the Calcutta High Court did not issue a formal order, he had orally advised the teachers on Wednesday (May 21, 2025) to appear before the police. He is understood to have assured the petitioners that no coercive action would be taken if they complied.
An FIR registered at the Bidhannagar North Police Station names several protestors, identified from video footage of the May 15 incident, which reportedly led to injuries to 19 police personnel. According to the FIR, the protesters are accused of damaging government property, obstructing public servants from discharging their duties, and issuing threats.
A section of the summons issued by the police stated: “…during the course of the investigation, it is revealed that you damaged government property and obstructed the public servant from his lawful duty and threatened the public servant from doing their duty, and there are also reasonable grounds to question you to ascertain facts and circumstances from you in relation to the present investigation.”
The protest outside Bikash Bhawan began on May 7 following the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold an earlier Calcutta High Court order cancelling the appointment of approximately 26,000 teachers. The appointments, made through the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) in 2016, were marred by allegations of large-scale irregularities.
The police had resorted to a lathi charge on May 15 after tensions between protestors and security personnel escalated. Over 30 teachers reportedly sustained serious injuries. The police later described the use of force as “minimal and restrained”.
Published – May 22, 2025 07:46 pm IST
