Cops stabbed, beaten up while attempting raid operations in Bengal’s Chopra

Kolkata, July 25 (IANS) At least four policemen were severely injured after they were stabbed with sharp-edged weapons and beaten up at Chopra in the North Dinajpur district of West Bengal on Thursday.The cops had gone there to conduct a raid in search of a local miscreant, Dil Mohammad.Incidentally, Chopra came into the national limelight recently after a video went viral where a local Trinamool Congress leader and strongman Tajimul Islam alias ‘JCB’ was seen mercilessly beating up a local woman in public at a Kangaroo court.District police sources said Mohammad, who is known in the locality as a private money-lender, has been accused of kidnapping a local youth who was not returning the money.As per the initial report, as the police team reached the residence of the accused, suddenly they were surrounded and attacked by his associates carrying sharp weapons. The attackers included a couple of women. In the attack, two junior police officers, one constable and the driver of the police vehicle were injured severely.Later a second police team reached there and rescued them. The four injured cops are currently under treatment at a private hospital in Siliguri. Till the time the report was filed, there was no information of any arrest in this connection.On July 15, a team from the West Bengal Police were attacked and fired upon while they attempted to arrest an imposter accused of selling fake gold at Kultali in South 24 Parganas district.West Bengal has been in the news for quite some time for attacks on the investigating officials by the aggressive local crowds. In January, a team of Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials and accompanying Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) were attacked by the local people while they attempted a raid and search operation at the residence of local strongman and Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan at Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district.Again in April this year, a team of National Investigation Agency (NIA) officials were attacked after they reached Bhapatinagar in East Midnapore district to investigate the explosion there in December 2022 which had killed three persons.–IANSsrc/dpb