Firing at Kolkata museum: CISF jawan remanded to 14-day police custody

Kolkata, Aug 7: A lower court here on Sunday remanded Akshyay Kumar Mishra, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) jawan, who resorted to indiscriminate firing in the Indian Museum premises at busy Park Street in central Kolkata on Saturday evening, to 14 days of police custody. Mishra was holding the rank of head constable.

One assistant sub-inspector of CISF, Ranjit Sarongi was killed and a CISF assistant commandant, Subit Ghosh was critically injured in that indiscriminate firing by Mishra, a resident of Odisha.

It is learnt that Mishra has been booked under Section 379 (punishment for theft), Section 307 (punishment for attempt to suicide), Section 302 (punishment for murder) of the Indian Penal Code, and Section 27(punishment for using arms) of The Arms Act, 1959. He will be presented at the same court on August 21.

After Mishra was apprehended by police on late Saturday evening from within the Indian Museum premises, he was taken to New Market Police station, where senior officials of the Kolkata Police questioned him throughout the night.

During interrogation, Mishra said that his main target was assistant commandant, Subit Ghosh as he was being denied legitimate leave for the last two and half months. He also expressed grievance against many of his colleagues for constantly humiliating him for the last few months. He said that he was denied leave even after the news of his father’s demise from his native village in Odisha.

After a successful operation on Saturday evening, the Kolkata Police heaved a sigh of relief as the casualty would have been much more, had the firing taken place during the visitors’ hours. Meanwhile, the incident has created panic among the regular visitors of the Indian Museum with the usual holiday crowd not being witnessed on Sunday.

–IANS