CPM leader among 2 arrested in plot to attack protesting doctors in Kolkata

Two people, including a Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader, were arrested in connection with an alleged plot to attack junior doctors who were protesting in Bidhannagar area on Saturday over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at a Kolkata hospital.
Sanjeev Das was the first person arrested, followed by Kalatan Dasgupta, a leader of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPIM), after an initial probe.
The Trinamool Congress released an audio clip on Friday, where two people were heard allegedly planning to attack protesting junior doctors during their sit-in. The ruling party also alleged that a conspiracy was being hatched to defame the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led government in West Bengal.
The junior doctors are holding a sit-in outside Swasthya Bhavan, the state’s health department headquarters, demanding the removal of top officials of the department over alleged corruption in the medical education sector apart from strict action over the Kolkata rape and murder case.
Bidhdhanagar Police said that they registered a case of conspiracy and began an investigation.
Addressing the press on Saturday, Bidhannagar Deputy Commissioner of Police Aneesh Sarkar said that the people in the audio clip were identified as Kalatan and Sanjeev.
“We had received information from our sources that professional criminals were planning to attack doctors protesting outside the Swasthya Bhawan. We even came across an audio clip of the conversation between two people where this conspiracy was exposed… We have fact-checked this audio clip and it is found to be authentic,” Sarkar was quoted by news agency ANI as saying.
“Sanjeev Das was arrested on Friday and confessed that it was his voice in the clip,” he said, adding that Kalatan was arrested on Saturday.
He further said that the police will take their voice samples for investigation. They will be produced in court and the police will ask for their custody for 14 days, Sarkar said.
He added that there were mentions of other names, including Saheb, Dadu and Bappa in the audio clip, and further investigation is on to identify them.
“We have increased the number of CCTV cameras at the protest site, and also the security deployed,” he further said.