Police Expansion of Arrests in Esplanade Unrest Leads to First Use of Bengal Safety Act

Escalation at Esplanade and Law Enforcement Response

Kolkata police transitioned from crowd control to investigative reconstruction on Monday, July 27, 2026, as they escorted five suspects back to Dorina Crossing. The goal was to recreate the chaotic events of the July 24 protest that demanded the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan over the NEET examination integrity scandal. The demonstration, which began at Sealdah station, involved thousands of activists from the Students Federation of India (SFI), the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), and various Left-aligned organizations.

The latest arrests include 35-year-old Waqar Azam and 32-year-old Muhammed Javed Akhtar, bringing the total custody count to 16. The initial march turned volatile when security forces employed lathis and fired two rounds of tear gas to dismantle a dharna at the Dorina Crossing. The fallout from the clash includes seven FIRs, five of which were initiated by media personnel who sustained injuries during the fray. A separate suo motu complaint by the Hare Street police station alleges the use of provocative rhetoric and unlawful assembly.

Invocation of the West Bengal Public Safety Act

Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has signaled a hardline legal approach, identifying 70 additional individuals allegedly involved in the unrest. In a significant legal milestone, the state plans to prosecute these individuals under the West Bengal Public Safety and Control of Anti-Social Activities Act, 2026. This legislation allows for:

• Preventive detention periods lasting up to 12 months.
• Specific restrictions on the ability of the accused to seek standard legal counsel during initial phases.
• Categorization of the violence as a threat to public order rather than a simple protest.

On July 26, the Chief Minister suggested that Islamic fundamentalists, potentially assisted by external foreign entities, fueled the escalations on Friday. This marks the inaugural application of the 2026 safety statute in West Bengal.

CJP Demands Executive Intervention

Amid the growing list of detainees, the Cockroach Janta Party has moved its advocacy to social media, urging Chief Minister Adhikari to drop all charges and release the protesters immediately. The CJP maintains that the withdrawal of these FIRs was previously agreed upon by Union Ministers Jagat Prakash Nadda and Jitendra Singh as a condition for political cooperation. While the government focuses on the injury of seven journalists and the alleged assault on police units, the opposition characterizes the events as a disproportionate use of force against a peaceful student movement.

Source: The Hindu — Home