M A I N   N E W S

MP’s arrest: bandh in Bengal
Tribune News Service

Kolkata, November 20
The Congress MP, Mr Adhir Chowdhury who was arrested yesterday from his New Delhi residence has been sent in a seven-day judicial custody.

Mr Chowdhury was flown down to Kolkata last night from the Capital and produced before the special court at Behrampore. He is an accused in the dual murder that took place at Behrampore town on July 24 and rioting on January 5 last.

Congress workers observed a 12-hour bandh today in Murshidabad and two other adjoining districts, Nadia and Birbhum against the MP’s arrest. Bandhs and demonstration were also held in several other districts. Over 3000 Congress workers and supporters have been arrested from the city and several other districts.

At Behrampore, the police fired tear gas shells and lathicharged the demonstrators. At Santiniketan, the Chhatra Parisad members took out demonstrations and burnt the Chief Minister, Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, in effigies. The classes were suspended and the examinations cancelled.

Reports of bandh and demonstrations West and South Dinajpur, Malda, Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri Midnapore, Hooghly and Howrah.

In Kolkata, the Congress staged demonstrations in front of Writers Building and several other places.

The Union Information Minister, Mr Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi alleged that Mr Chowdhury had been falsely implicated in the murder case by the CPM.