KOLKATA: A group of drunk men assaulted an elderly man, attacked him with a broken liquor bottle and rained kicks and blows on his son when he reportedly protested against them drinking on the road and creating a ruckus. The accused fled only when the 61-year-old retired engineer, trained in boxing, fired in the air from his licensed gun, which he apparently carries on his walks for self-defence. The incident took place on Onkarmal Jetia Road in Howrah, 100m from Nabanna.
Complainant Asit Samanta claimed he did 100 during the attack but no one responded.
The incident took place around 10pm on Tuesday, when Samanta stepped out of his home for an after-dinner walk and spotted a few youths drinking in a toto, opposite his house. He scolded the group and told them to leave immediately or he would call the police. But the drunk youths reportedly refused to budge and reportedly attacked him. As Samanta raised an alarm, his son, Arindam, came running to his rescue. But the youths reportedly pinned Arindam down to the road and kicked him around. At the same time, one of the accused picked up a bottle, broke it and reportedly attacked Samanta with it but the elderly person somehow managed to dodge it. He then reportedly took out his licensed gun and fired in the air.
Scared, the accused fled in the toto. Around the same time, Samanta dialled 100 but the call allegedly went unanswered. Samanta and Arindam called the Shibpore police station, after which cops arrived at the spot and recorded the incident. “The complainant’s son has also videoed the incident on his mobile. We are checking CCTV images to identify the accused. Police patrolling has been increased. We are also examining why no one responded to the call to 100,” said a senior Howrah City Police officer.
Samanta later told TOI, “I am tired of protesting against illegal activities in our neighbourhood. This is not the first time. On Monday, I warned these same youths against drinking on the road. That day they left only to return on Tuesday night, apparently to teach me a lesson. They did not realise I would have a revolver. I carry the gun as self-defence.” Samanta said he could duck the lethal attack with the bottle because of his boxing training. “Otherwise, I would have been dead by now,” he added. The broken bottle grazed his neck, causing minor injuries.
The next day, his neighbours erupted in fury over the locality turning unsafe. “It used to be a peaceful, middle-class, Bengali neighbourhood. But of late, law-and-order problem has become quite a regular feature,” one of them said.
Complainant Asit Samanta claimed he did 100 during the attack but no one responded.
The incident took place around 10pm on Tuesday, when Samanta stepped out of his home for an after-dinner walk and spotted a few youths drinking in a toto, opposite his house. He scolded the group and told them to leave immediately or he would call the police. But the drunk youths reportedly refused to budge and reportedly attacked him. As Samanta raised an alarm, his son, Arindam, came running to his rescue. But the youths reportedly pinned Arindam down to the road and kicked him around. At the same time, one of the accused picked up a bottle, broke it and reportedly attacked Samanta with it but the elderly person somehow managed to dodge it. He then reportedly took out his licensed gun and fired in the air.
Scared, the accused fled in the toto. Around the same time, Samanta dialled 100 but the call allegedly went unanswered. Samanta and Arindam called the Shibpore police station, after which cops arrived at the spot and recorded the incident. “The complainant’s son has also videoed the incident on his mobile. We are checking CCTV images to identify the accused. Police patrolling has been increased. We are also examining why no one responded to the call to 100,” said a senior Howrah City Police officer.
Samanta later told TOI, “I am tired of protesting against illegal activities in our neighbourhood. This is not the first time. On Monday, I warned these same youths against drinking on the road. That day they left only to return on Tuesday night, apparently to teach me a lesson. They did not realise I would have a revolver. I carry the gun as self-defence.” Samanta said he could duck the lethal attack with the bottle because of his boxing training. “Otherwise, I would have been dead by now,” he added. The broken bottle grazed his neck, causing minor injuries.
The next day, his neighbours erupted in fury over the locality turning unsafe. “It used to be a peaceful, middle-class, Bengali neighbourhood. But of late, law-and-order problem has become quite a regular feature,” one of them said.
Quick Links
Lok Sabha Election Schedule 2019Lok Sabha Election NewsDelhi Capitals teamMI team 2019Rajasthan Royals 2019RCB team 2019Maharashtra Lok Sabha ConstituenciesBJP Candidate ListBJP List 2019 TamilnaduShiv Sena List 2019AP BJP List 2019Mamata BanerjeeBJP List 2019 MaharashtraPriyanka GandhiBJP List 2019 KarnatakaAMMK Candidate List 2019BJP List 2019 WBLok Sabha Elections in Tamil NaduBSP List 2019 UPNews in TamilLok Sabha Poll 2019Satta Matka 2018PM ModiMahagathbandhanNagpur BJP Candidate ListChandrababu NaiduTamil Nadu ElectionsUrmila MatondkarNews in TeluguMadras High CourtTejashwi YadavArvind KejriwalTejasvi SuryaPawan KalyanArvind KejriwalYogi AdityanathJaya PradaSatta King 2019Srinagar encounter
Get the app