Salua (West Bengal), March 1 (IANS) Eight security personnel sustained injuries Thursday after fresh clashes were reported between troopers of the Eastern Frontier Rifles (EFR) and Counter Insurgency Force (CIF) in West Bengal’s West Midnapore district.
The two forces, stationed on the same campus, have been on a collision course since family members of the EFR personnel complained of instances of sexual harassment by the CIF troopers.
A fresh stand-off between locals, largely comprising family members of the EFR, and the CIF started following a molestation complaint against one of the CIF troopers. The locals encircled the barracks of the force and put up road blocks.
Violence broke out after police reached the spot to disperse the protesters who were demanding that the CIF personnel responsible for allegedly abusing the woman be brought to book and the CIF barracks, located within the EFR camp, be relocated.
Police carried out a baton charge after they were allegedly attacked by the protesters. EFR personnel also joined in the melee and attacked CIF barracks, ransacking them and setting on fire their personal belongings.
Two police vehicles were also set ablaze.
Eight policemen, including Kharagpur Sub Divisional Police Officer Dipak Sarkar, were injured in the fight. Six people have been detained.
Tension has been simmering between the two camps since Feb 20 after CIF troopers were accused of passing lewd comments against the family members of an EFR personnel, which subsequently led to a violent scuffle between them, which left 20 troopers injured.
The EFR is a force under the state police entrusted with maintaining law and order, while the CIF was raised by the state government on the lines of Greyhounds in Andhra Pradesh to combat Maoists in the state.
