A Kolkata court on Monday, 8 June granted bail to five people, including Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader and Students' Federation of India (SFI) All India Secretary Srijan Bhattacharya, who were detained the previous night during a protest against a hawker eviction drive at Jadavpur railway station in south Kolkata. The Alipore Police Court released all five on a personal bond of ₹1,000 each, with the next hearing scheduled for 3 November.

What Happened at Jadavpur Station

The eviction drive commenced late Sunday night inside the Jadavpur railway station premises, with bulldozers demolishing several alleged illegal shops and constructions one after another. A joint Left Front–Congress demonstration had been under way since Sunday evening in anticipation of the drive. A heavy deployment of Kolkata Police, Railway Police, and Central forces was in place, with barricades erected across the area near the 212 bus stand.

Bhattacharya and several others were arrested before the demolition began. While being escorted to a police van, Bhattacharya said: 'The Railways are doing illegal work. They have come to evict hawkers ignoring the courts and the law.' He also claimed that his arrest was 'forcible and illegal.'

Injuries and Allegations of Lathi-Charge

Approximately 15 CPI-M workers were reportedly injured after a clash broke out between Left activists and police personnel. Theatre activist Joyraj Bhattacharya is said to have sustained a head injury. A senior CPI-M leader alleged on Monday that party leader Sujan Chakraborty had to undergo a CT scan following the incident and described one person as critically injured.

According to the senior CPI-M leader: 'Reckless lathi-charge by BJP government police at Jadavpur station. Five were arrested, including Srijan Bhattacharya. About 15 people were injured, including one who was critically injured... All the shops adjacent to Jadavpur station have been demolished. Railways has given 15 days' notice to the remaining ones. We strongly condemn this bulldozer drive by the new government.'

Monday Morning Protests

On Monday morning, SFI members staged a demonstration outside the Jadavpur University campus, demanding the immediate release of all those arrested. The bail order from the Alipore Police Court came later in the day, with the judge stipulating that Bhattacharya must cooperate with the ongoing investigation as a condition of release.

Part of a Wider Railway Eviction Pattern

The Jadavpur action is not an isolated incident. The Railways had previously carried out eviction drives at the Howrah and Sealdah station premises, reportedly removing around 500 temporary huts and small shops. Bulldozers were also deployed to demolish alleged illegal multi-storeyed structures in parts of Howrah. Affected traders have consistently alleged that the drives were conducted without adequate prior warning, with some arriving in the morning to find their establishments already gone.

Tension had first surfaced in the Jadavpur station area the previous Tuesday, when Left leaders joined protesters amid rumours of an imminent eviction — an operation that did not materialise that day. With the Railways having issued 15 days' notice to remaining shopkeepers, further action in the area appears likely.