BJP leader Kushal Pandey was arrested by Hare Street police on Wednesday evening in connection with the alleged egg attack on lawyers at Kolkata’s Bankshall court last week, hours before advocates were due to march to Kolkata Police headquarters at Lalbazar demanding action against him.
Pandey has been identified as the prime accused in the case. Police sources said he was called to Hare Street police station on Wednesday evening, where he allegedly surrendered before being formally arrested. The arrest led representatives of lawyers’ associations to call off the proposed march and gherao of the police headquarters.
The incident was reported on Thursday, October 1, when a group of agitators allegedly gathered at Bankshall court while YouTuber Dipak Byapari was being produced before a court. Byapari had been arrested over a series of social media posts allegedly targeting chief minister Suvendu Adhikari.
During the commotion at the court premises, the agitators allegedly threw eggs. One egg hit a lawyer, following which an altercation broke out between lawyers and protesters. Four lawyers were reportedly injured in the confrontation, according to the report. The episode prompted members of the legal fraternity to organise protests and road blockades at several locations across Kolkata.
Lawyers had alleged that police had not taken adequate action against those responsible for the incident. They repeatedly demanded Pandey’s arrest and later announced plans to march to Lalbazar on Wednesday, October 8. The proposed demonstration was also intended to demand action against all those allegedly involved in the assault and greater security at court premises.
The arrest came before the lawyers’ planned action, but representatives of the associations said their agitation would continue until action was taken against all those allegedly involved in the attack. The withdrawal of the Lalbazar march followed the announcement of Pandey’s arrest, while the case remains linked to the broader dispute over security and police response at Bankshall court.
