Kolkata: Auto driver, aides thrash techie, threaten his mother

KOLKATA: A 40-year-old senior executive of an IT major was allegedly beaten up and his 68-year-old mother — a practising advocate in a city court — was threatened by an auto driver and his two friends while the duo were accompanying their relatives to a bus stop. The incident took place around 3.30pm on Saturday at Satkari Mitra Lane-Bagmari Road crossing under Maniktala police station area.
According to Gita Mukherjee, the advocate, some relatives had come over to their residence, close to Muraripukur, on Saturday. “We were trying to cross the road when an auto approached us in full speed. We protested and tried to point out to the driver that he should have been more careful. This enraged him and the occupants, who came out of the three-wheeler and charged at us. They beat up my son and when I intervened, they stopped me saying they wanted to settle matters with my son. We ran back to our residence. We could note only the last four digits of the auto’s registration number,” Mukherjee told TOI.
A complaint was filed against the persons who were riding the auto bearing the registration number with 7105 at the end.
“After a complaint was filed, a case was recorded under IPC 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and 341 (wrongful restraint),” the FIR stated. The cops said they have launched a probe into the incident. “We are collecting CCTV footages from the area. The auto unions have been contacted. Though the route is being identified, the victim has informed us that the men in the auto were not locals and they might have been in an inebriated condition,” said an investigating officer.
The political patronage enjoyed by auto drivers make them think they are immune from law, said cops. “We have challenged 96,000 autos in the last six months. Overpricing, however, does not fall within our ambit,” explained an officer.