KOLKATA: Just before the crucial meeting of state Education Minister Bratya Basu with the job-losers of West Bengal government schools on Friday afternoon, a decision of the Kolkata Police has left them fuming.
A cop attached to Kasba Police Station, who was spotted in media footage kicking a job loser protesting in front of the office of the District Inspector of schools at Kasba in Kolkata on Wednesday afternoon, has now been entrusted by the higher authorities to lead the investigation against the protesting job losers.
The officer concerned is Riton Das. On Wednesday afternoon, the police resorted to a massive lathi-charge on the job losers protesting in demand of immediate action by the state government in segregating the "genuine" candidates from the "tainted" ones getting jobs paying money.
In that police action, several protesters received severe injuries from being hit by police batons. Amid the scuffle, Das was spotted by some media cameramen kicking a protester. That picture went viral on social media.
"From this decision, it is clear what kind of investigation will happen. First, after the police attack on us on Wednesday, the administration claimed that there was mild police action. Now, an officer who was spotted kicking a protester is entrusted with the duty to investigate the same matter, " said a protesting teacher.
The opposition leaders, too, alleged that it is the state administration's practice to entrust the accused officer with the duty to investigate the same case.
BJP leader and party councillor with Kolkata Municipal Corporation, Sajal Ghosh, said: "Instead of initiating departmental proceedings against the said cop, he was entrusted the duty to carry out the investigation."
Already two FIRs have been registered against the protesters. While one FIR has been registered suo motu by the police, the second one is based on a complaint filed by the office of the District Inspector of schools at Kasba.