Sunday, November 20 2005 15:04 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kolkata: Trouble broke out as soon as arrested Congress MP Adhir Chowdhury was produced in a court here this morning with his supporters who had gathered outside brick batting the police who retaliated with a lathicharge and also fired tear gas shells.

Murshidabad superintendent of police Neeraj Kumar Singh said "the police were attacked with brickbats for which a lathicharge was made and a few rounds of teargas were fired. We had been prepared and had taken precautionary measures for producing Chowdhury."

Congress supporters had gathered in a field opposite to the court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate A K Pal. They became restive soon after Chowdhury was brought to the court and began throwing stones at the police, who had been deployed in strength around the court.

Chowdhury who was arrested in New Delhi yesterday was brought to Kolkata last evening and then taken by road to Berhampore, the parliamentary constituency he represents, before being taken to court this morning.

A 12-hr bandh is on in the district at the call of the Congress to protest "political conspiracy" behind the arrest. The police superintendent said the situation elsewhere in the district was peaceful. Efforts were made to block trains at two places but it was cleared by the police swiftly.

Traffic on NH-34, which runs through the district, was also normal, he said. Bandhs were also being observed in Nadia and Birbhum districts.