Villagers set up roadblocks at Bhangar to protest arrest

Fresh protests erupted at Bhangar in West Bengal's South 24-Parganas district today following the arrest of a villager in connection with his alleged involvement in clashes which took place there last January over the construction of a power sub-station.
Though police sources claimed that the man arrested was wanted because of his criminal activity and had no link to the clashes there last January, villagers today set up roadblocks with felled tree trunks and demanding immediate release of the accused.
Alleging police atrocity in the area and protesting the man's arrest, several villagers put up barricades on roads at Natunhaat, Khamarhati, Padmapukur following which a huge state police force was deployed to maintain law and order.

"The man arrested yesterday was a most wanted because of his criminal activities. He has no connection with the clashes in January over the setting up of a sub-station there," the officer told PTI on condition of anonymity.
In January, clashes had been reported from troubled Bhangar in which at least one person was killed in crossfire between groups of outsiders and villagers over the construction of the sub-station there, following which the construction work was stopped.