Kolkata, Nov 07: Tension continued to prevail at the Dalgaon tea garden, scene of yesterday's massacre of 19 people inside a former CITU leader's house, as additional police pickets were posted today to prevent any recurrence of trouble in the North Bengal district of Jalpaiguri. Two more persons were taken into custody during intensive raids, raising the number of arrests made so far to 108, the state's DIG (Hq) of Police, N C Ghosh, said adding they included 27 women.

Ghosh said that the former CITU leader, Tarakeswar Lohar, whose house was set on fire by an irate mob over recruitment for the posts of clerks in the garden, denied having opened fire on the protestors who sought 'explanation' from him about the new recruits.
Lohar, who managed to escape the mob's wrath, was later arrested, Ghosh said. "But he is denying if any shot was fired from inside his house on the mob. Lohar made a statement to the police that he had no knowledge about the cause of mob fury as well as the incident of shooting," the DIG said.

Meanwhile, personnel of the eastern frontier rifles, Rapid Action Force and state armed police were patrolling the garden which remained closed.


The DIG said that police raids for those responsible for the arson and killings would continue.
Bureau Report