Strict action will be taken against anyone spreading rumours or trying to ruin peace in the state, West Bengal additional director general (law and order) Jawed Shamim said on Monday. He said this at a press conference with reference to the clash between protesters and police in the Howrah area that reached its peak on Saturday.
Section 144 was imposed and still continues in some areas. For three days, Howrah remained tense as many took to the streets protesting over suspended Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Nupur Sharma’s remarks on Prophet Muhammad. Internet was snapped for two days in Howrah, and has been restored from Monday. Shamim warned people to not forward or send any video that can spread rumours and/or ruin peace. “Strict action will be taken against anyone trying to ruin peace in the state,” he said. Shamim said that vigil in the area will continue.
He said that 42 first information reports have been filed, along with 25 arrests. Altogether 200 people have been arrested for the clashes.
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On Saturday, the Bengal government transferred the Howrah Police commissioner C Sudhakar and in his place Praveen Kumar Tripathy was made the Howrah city police chief. The rural chief of Howrah Police, Soumya Roy, has also been transferred out. The new chief is now Swati Bhangaliya, who was deputy commissioner (south-west) in Kolkata Police.
