Siliguri, February 26 Protesters clashed with the police in Siliguri, a city in northern West Bengal, on Thursday during a demonstration over the assault of a pregnant tribal woman.
Members of the Janjati Suraksha Manch, backed by the RSS, were on their way to gherao Uttarkanya, the state government's branch secretariat. The clash broke out when they attempted to breach police barricades near the Tin Batti Mor.
Police said they used tear gas shells and water cannons to disperse the protesters, in addition to a "minor" lathi charge.
Several protesters were detained at the scene, they said.
The demonstrators were demanding the death penalty for a civic volunteer accused of assaulting the woman whose unborn child died.
The incident occurred on December 23, when a land dispute in the Phansidewa area led to a confrontation between two groups. During the confrontation, the woman was allegedly assaulted by the civic volunteer, according to police.
The accused civic volunteer has been arrested, but the demonstrators allege that four other individuals involved in the incident are still at large.