By IANS
Kolkata : At least eight people were injured at the Sealdah railway station here Saturday as railway police resorted to baton charge thousands of commuters who were protesting suspension of local train services after railway staff went on a wildcat strike.
Train services were disrupted for five hours in three sections (south, north and central) of the Sealdah station – one of the two major railheads of Eastern Railway (ER).
The drivers and other railway staff went on protest as three of their colleagues were arrested by the railway police.
Irate commuters also staged a demonstration in front of the office of the station manager and later went on a rampage at the station.
According to police sources, the railway police resorted to baton charge to disperse the unruly crowd. Two media representatives were also injured.
The train service in many important stations like Diamond Harbour, Mograhat, Baruipur, Dankuni and Bongaon virtually collapsed due to the incident.
However, train service was restored later following the release of all the three arrested railway staff, including a driver.
According to police sources, the arrests were made on the basis of a complaint lodged by a railway magistrate Mintu Mallick, who was not allowed to board the driver's compartment by the driver and two guards of a local train at the Lake Gardens station.
Coming to the Sealdah station, he lodged a complaint with the railway police and got all three of them arrested.