Front Page
Attack on American Center in Kolkata
By Malabika Bhattacharya
Commandos standing guard outside the American Center in Kolkata - AFP
KOLKATA, JAN. 22. In the biggest suspected terrorist strike in West Bengal, gunmen today killed four policemen and critically wounded 20 persons in front of the American Center on the Jawaharlal Nehru Road here.
The incident took place half a km from a maidan where policemen were rehearsing for the Republic Day parade.
The ``ride-by'' shooting occurred at 6.35 a.m. when the area was enveloped in fog.
Eyewitnesses said four gunmen on two motorcycles came and sprayed bullets on the security personnel who were handing over charge to the morning shift personnel.
About three dozen policemen present there were so shocked that they did not fire even a single shot in retaliation.
``We were so surprised that we could not react,'' said an injured policeman, Roshan Chhetri. The killers were clad in Army fatigue and had their AK-47 and AK-56 rifles hidden behind black shawls.
The four policemen were killed on the spot and 18 others were injured in an operation that lasted just four minutes. The other two injured are a pedestrian and a private security guard hired by the American Center.
Of the nine persons admitted to hospital, four were battling for life, the attending doctors said.
It looked like a battlefield with bodies and puddles of blood on the pavement and road in front of the American Center. The police van, which was waiting to ferry the nightshift policemen, bore the marks of bullets.
The killers fired at least 54 rounds and even a nearby tree had bullet marks. At least 20 or so plastic chairs, caps and batons of the unsuspecting policemen lay scattered on the ground.
Police clueless
Police were clueless about the identity of the assailants. But various newspaper offices and private televisions channels received phone calls from people who identified themselves as leaders of groups such as A.R. Commando and the Harkat-ul-Jehad-i-Islami.
Police are trying to ascertain whether the attack was sponsored by terrorists or a crime syndicate, some of whose members were arrested in the course of the investigations in relation to the abduction of the city businessman, Partha Roy Burman.
``We heard that certain militant outfits had claimed responsibility for the American Center massacre. We are still in the process of verifying it,'' the Chief Minister, Buddahdeb Bhattacharjee, said. He visited the injured policemen in hospital.
Security at all foreign consulates and other vital installations in the city have been strengthened in view of the incident.
Mr. Bhattacharjee held meetings with senior police and Government officials to review the security measures. A special alert was sounded in the State and all entry and exit points have been sealed.
The U.S. consulate, located about 500 metres from the American Center, is under a security blanket with concrete barriers put up in front of the building during the day. Both the consulate and the American Center would remain closed till further notice.
The Chief Minister, had informed the Home Minister, L.K. Advani, about today's incident. He visited the American Center and discussed the incident and its ramifications with the U.S. Consul-General, Christopher Sandrolini.
The Congress and the Trinamool Congress condemned the attack but accused the State Government of ``abject failure to check terrorism''.
Threat to Viswabharathi
All police stations in the Birbhum district were put on alert as an anonymous letter threatened to blow up the Viswabharathi University at Santiniketan and the Bakreshwar thermal power station, among other institutions, on the Republic Day.
``We have taken it seriously and stepping up security,'' the Superintendent of Police, Jayanta Kumar Basu, said.
UNI reports:
Immediately after the terrorist attack on the American Center here today, an anonymous caller threatened to blow up the State BJP office ``anytime''.
``After the American Center, now, it is your turn. Be prepared for the worst,'' said the caller when he rang up the State BJP office secretary, Sailen Majumdar, twice _ first at 7.10 a.m. and then about an hour later.
Disclosing this to presspersons here, the State BJP vice-president, Muzaffar Khan, said one call was in Bengali and the other in Hindi. The caller, however, refused to identify himself. Ironically, it was the caller who informed the State BJP secretariat about the attack on the American Center.
Mr. Khan said immediately after the calls he informed the police commissioner and demanded more security at the party secretariat. A similar letter was also being dispatched to the Union Home Minister, L.K. Advani, the BJP president, Jana Krishnamurthy, the Chief Minister, Buddhadeb Bhattacherjee, the Chief Secretary, Sourin Roy, and the Home Secretary, Amit Kiran Deb.
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Front Page
|
