Mamata calls up assaulted professor, two held for attack

Kolkata, July 25 (IANS) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday assured support to the college professor who was allegedly assaulted in the college campus in Hooghly by union members of the ruling party's student wing, the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad.

Subrata Chattopadhyay, Professor of Nabagram Hiralal Paul College in Konnagar, was roughed up on Wednesday after he sought to mediate in a ruckus where students were forced to utter "Mamata Banerjee Zindabad" and "Trinamool Zindabad".

Two people have been arrested in this connection.

Chattopadhyay said: "Our Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee spoke to me over the phone. She said two persons have been arrested, proper steps will be taken and I don't need to worry.

"We are relieved but I just want to see whether the arrested ones are given a bail very easily. If not, I will know that whatever she (CM) spoke, she is abiding by it."

The assaulted professor alleged that a local councillor involved in various unlawful activities - whom he did not name - had instigated the student union members on Wednesday.

"Sandip Pal and Bijoy Sarkar has been arrested for assaulting the professor," an officer of Uttarpara police station said.

After the attack, the professor had clearly stated that he was attacked by TMCP members.

A local Trinamool Congress leader, who visited the campus, said: "Some student union members intervened on time, else the incident could have been more grave. We will have to find out who were those outsiders present at the campus and if any TMCP member is at fault, steps will be taken."

He further mentioned that the arrested individuals are not the students of the same college and police is looking after the matter. One of the arrested persons is a former student of the college.