Irate villagers torched a Counter Insurgency Force barrack in West Midnapore district on Thursday after 30 persons were injured in police lathicharge on a crowd which had blocked the state highway demanding handing over of a CIF personnel accused of molesting a girl.
Sub-divisional police officer Dipak Sarkar told PTI that 14 policemen were injured in brickbatting by the agitating villagers. Sarkar said that the villagers, who outnumbered the police, set afire the CIF barrack located within the Eastern Rifles (EFR) compound at Salua.
CIF SP Manoj Verma has rushed to the spot. The villagers earlier blocked Keshiary-Kharagpur state highway demanding that a CIF personnel, accused of recently molesting a girl, stated to be the daughter of a EFR personnel, be handed over to them.
As the police asked the agitators to disperse and clear the state highway, the villagers indulged in brickbatting, prompting the police to use batons. Sarkar said reinforcements were being rushed to Salua to defuse tension.