Kolkata: Another crime, but with a happy ending

KOLKATA: Hours after the harassment of city-based model Ushoshi Sengupta by bike-borne youths at Exide crossing and again at Lake Gardens late on Monday night, another woman travelling alone at night faced a similar ordeal on a deserted Alipore stretch. However, the cop on duty took prompt action to save the woman in the second case and helped his colleague arrest the accused app-cab driver who was allegedly stalking her.

The incident assumes significance since police used a Twitter post from the woman to lodge an FIR and then arrested the driver from Kidderpore. The accused has been identified as Arun Patra.
According to police, the woman had hailed an Uber cab from Behala No. 14 bus stand and was headed to the airport. Around 3.20am, her cab crossed Bailey Bridge and had taken Burdwan Road when it came close to another app cab being driven by Patra.
“There was a point when the two cars almost collided. This angered Patra. He started following the car. A little ahead, near Laxmipat Singhania School, Patra even tried to block the car in which the woman was travelling. She raised an alarm but the accused reportedly did not budge. The driver of the Uber managed to wriggle out and sped towards Alipore zoo. By this time, the woman was frantically searching for a cop to seek help,” said an investigating officer. She spotted ASI Biplab Das from Alipore police station, who was on night patrol, standing near the zoo.
“Around 3.40am, Das saw the cab stop near him. The woman got down and pointed towards the app cab and alleged that the driver of that car was following her. Before the ASI could do anything, the accused drove towards AJC Bose Road. However, the car returned on the same route a couple of minutes later and Das noted the registration number of the vehicle. The ASI then gave his phone number to the victim and her cab driver and asked them to call him if they needed any help. The woman, after reaching the airport, called the ASI to express her gratitude and also requested him take action against the driver,” said DC (south) Meeraj Khalid.
The cops pursued the case further, requesting the woman to send over a complaint. Expressing her gratitude, the woman iterated her ordeal on her Twitter handle. “Based on her account and that of Das, an FIR was drawn under IPC sections 354D (molestation by following a woman to foster personal interaction repeatedly despite a clear indication of disinterest by such woman) and 341 (wrongful restraint),” said Khalid.
On Wednesday, Patra, a resident of Sarsuna, was arrested. “He claimed that he was drunk and his only intention was to teach the other driver a lesson,” said an officer. Cops are using CCTV footage from Alipore to reconstruct the crime.
An Uber spokesperson said: “This is a clear violation of our ‘community guidelines’. We have removed the driver partner’s access to the app, and stand ready to assist the law enforcement authorities.”