775 arrested the day after Kali Puja, 400 for bursting illegal crackers in Kolkata

Kolkata: Kolkata Police continued with its crackdown and arrested 400 people — 32 in Salt Lake — for bursting illegal crackers on Monday night. Overall, 775 people were arrested for various reasons across the city the day after Kali Puja .

The West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) received 95 complaints — 60 of them for bursting crackers.

On Kali Puja night, cops had arrested 1,190 people, the highest in last five years.

The complaints — received on WBPCB helpline numbers and Paribesh app on Monday — were lodged mostly from south Kolkata — Alipore, Kalighat, Tollygunge, Lake, Behala, Patuli, Kasba, Regent Park, Bhowanipore, Ekbalpore, Karaya and the suburbs. Though north Kolkata was relatively quieter the day after Kali Puja, complaints were received from Cossipore, Tangra, Phoolbagan, Beliaghata and Shyampukur. Complaints were also made from New Town, Duttapukur, Belgharia, Baranagar, Belur and Khardah on the city’s northern fringes.

Police raids in trouble zones continued till late night even on Monday. “Among the 400 arrested for bursting crackers, 249 people were arrested in south Kolkata and its fringes. The south suburban division accounted for the maximum arrests for bursting crackers,” a senior officer said. In north and central Kolkata, more people were arrested for disorderly conduct. “Arrest for disorderly conduct were mostly reported from central Kolkata, home to several pubs and bars,” an officer explained.

WBPCB sources said two specific FIRs were lodged in the Shyampukur police station. The day before, on Sunday, nine specific FIRs were lodged by WBPCB officers in various police stations. Not a single FIR was lodged in Kolkata. A senior PCB officer said, “The complaints did not pertain only to bursting crackers above the permissible limit but also playing loudspeakers and DJs during immersion processions. Around 35 such complaints were received by PCB on Monday.”