Kolkata Football Fans Protest Doctor's Murder Outside Salt Lake Stadium

Braving the rains in the afternoon, the two arch rivals’ supporters, who are otherwise always seen competing with each other, stood shoulder to shoulder in a rare gesture and launched their demonstration with their club flags at the stadium entrance on the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass. In an unprecedented gesture, the supporters of the two rival clubs even held each other’s flags and raised slogans demanding justice for the victim’s family.

They held placards and banners condemning the horrible crime. Mohun Bagan captain Subhasis Bose also participated in the agitation.

Traffic came to a standstill immediately. A large police contingent was deployed and prohibitory orders under Section 163 of Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita were enforced around the stadium. However, a clash broke out as the police tried to disperse the agitating football fans, who however alleged that they were lathi-charged mercilessly from the road to clear the congestion.

Many of them were seen getting bundled into prison vans. Later, the Mohammedan Sporting Club supporters also joined the stir. The West Bengal police said in its social media handles that two persons were arrested for carrying bombs and firearms to disrupt the “peaceful protest”.

The police later said there were intelligence inputs that attempts would be made to trigger violence during the match, because of which it was cancelled. “We had specific information some groups and organisations would attempt to create disturbance in the stadium,” a senior police officer said, adding that 63,000 spectators were expected for the match.