The BJP candidate in Asansol Lok Sabha bypoll Agnimitra Paul alleged that officers at Asansol south police station and the GRP around Friday midnight at Asansol Junction misbehaved with theatre artistes, including Papiya Adhikari, who had campaigned for the party.

The artistes were staying at the station’s retiring rooms since Friday afternoon as they did not get train reservation to return to Calcutta, she said. The GRP and policemen, without any lady personnel, went around midnight and misbehaved with them, she alleged. “Police following instructions of the IC of Asansol south police station misbehaved with the theatre artistes in the name of asking for their identity. Police treated them as if they were terrorists,” alleged Paul, who filed a complaint with the Election Commission of India.

Police have denied the charge and said it was only a routine inquiry.

They said none were misbehaved with or harassed.

The inspector-in-charge of Asansol south police station Abhijit Chatterjee was removed by the EC in the wake of an earlier complaint by the BJP against him.