A platoon of armymen in uniform vandalised a police station in Kolkata after a major and captain were arrested on charges of eve teasing from a posh hotel on Park Street where New Year revelry was on till the small hours on Monday.
Eleven policemen were injured, including one seriously, in the vandalism at the Park Street police station, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) Ajay Ranade said.
The armymen ransacked the police station after Major C B Singh and Captain Mahesh of the Madras regiment were arrested on eve-teasing charges in a five-star hotel nearby during the celebrations to usher in 2007.
The arrests were made on a complaint by a woman, which was supported by the security manager of the hotel.
This angered the armymen who drove in three trucks to the police station, where the arrested officers were taken, and beat up the policemen on duty, snapping telephone lines, breaking furniture and damaging files before forcibly freeing their two officers from custody, top police officials said.
"We will see the end of it," an angry Kolkata Police Commisisoner Prasun Mukherjee said.
Joint Commissioner of Police Kuldip Singh said the arymen also injured some hotel employees.
Cases were filed by the police against the armymen for vandalism, assault and snatching away of arrested persons.
The Eastern Command has ordered a court of inquiry into the episode.
The armymen, the police said, took away the two officers after brandishing firearms.
Six persons, arrested on eve-teasing and other charges, also escaped from the police station in the melee.
Chief Secretary A K Deb said stern action would be taken against the army personnel, and he had taken up the issue with the authorities.
According to the joint commissioner, police would seek a court directive for the hand over of the two army officers to the police immediately.
The defence authorities later sent Colonel M C Barua to the Park Street police station.
"I have come for a discussion," Col Barua said but refused to comment on the vandalism at the police station.
"No comment," he said cryptically.
Meanwhile, over 900 arrests were made in Kolkata on Sunday night on charges of eve-teasing and disorderly conduct, the police said.
