Man gets soap instead of phone, bites postmaster

HOWRAH: Infuriated after a leading online store shipped him a washing bar worth Rs 5 instead of the cellphone he ordered, an Uluberia cable TV operator on Saturday bit and assaulted the local post master and tried to flee with the post office cash box. Md Aftarul, 48, who was granted bail on Sunday by a local court, has lodged a complaint against the online retailer on fraud charges. Police said they have sought an explanation from the retailer with headquarters in Thane.

According to sources Aftarul told cops he had booked a cellphone on October 15. “The price of the cellphone was Rs 3,500 and they added Rs 98 as shipping charges,” Aftarul said. “I am wary about online purchases since I had been duped once. However, I had promised my son this cellphone. Since the retailer does not ship to Uluberia’s Gangarampur, I was asked to provide the address of my local post office — Kaijhuri sub-post office — which I did,” he added.

On Friday evening, Aftarul received a call from postmaster Kishori Mohan Das that a parcel had arrived in his name. Afratul went to the post office on Saturday morning. “I was asked to pay Rs 3,598 to get the sealed parcel. When I opened it, I found a bar of soap which costs Rs 5. I lost my temper and asked the postmaster to return my money. He told me he couldn’t,” he said.

“We received the sealed parcel and were asked to collect the money while handing over the parcel to the recipient. When I told him I could not return the money, he tried to snatch my cash box. I held it firmly but he bit my finger and attempted to flee. I cried out to others to stop him. He was finally caught and handed over to police,” the postmaster said.

Das lodged a complaint with Uluberia police, who initially detained and then arrested Afratul on charges of snatching. On Sunday, after getting bail, Afratul lodged an FIR against the online retailer.

Afratul claimed his intention was never to steal the cash box but to just get back the money he paid. “If the post office decides to act against this online retailer, they can. I am not a well-connected person and cannot do anything,” he said.

Local resident Hemanta Roy was at the post office during Sunday’s incident. “I heard the postmaster cry for help. Me and others managed to stop the person fleeing with the cash box at the gates.”

Additional SP (rural) Biswachand Thakur said, “We received a complaint against the online retailer for defrauding a customer and have sought details from the retailer. The customer has been arrested for attempting to snatch the cash box at the post office.”