An officer of the GST and Customs Department sustained head injuries after a mob of over 50 people allegedly stormed into his fourth-floor flat in Sonarpur area of South 24 Pargana district and assaulted him and his wife in front of their four-year-old child over a road rage issue.
Four people have been arrested so far in connection with the attack, which took place on the night of October 23.
The reason for the attack was a brawl between Customs officer Pradeep Kumar, who hails from Uttar Pradesh, and an auto driver, Azizul Gazi. The altercation broke out after Kumar’s car allegedly grazed against the auto while moving through a Kali puja immersion procession.
Gazi and three others were arrested on Friday by the Sonarpur police but were later released on bail.
“Police should investigate the matter. If the common man is not safe, what is the point?,” asked Kumar.
He also alleged that calls made by him and his neighbours to the police were met with an apathetic response, with the cops stating that they were short-staffed as they were managing Kali Puja immersions.
According to Kumar, the police arrived 40 minutes later, and the mob had dispersed by that time.
The mob reportedly barged into the Deeshari Megacity and overpowered two security guards at the gate, ran up the stairs, pulled apart the collapsible gate and barged into Kumar's flat.
“I thought my end was near. They broke the iron grill and its lock, and beat me. They also smashed my head and pushed my wife,” the officer said while narrating the incident. Kumar has lived in this apartment for one year and has been working in Kolkata for nine years.
The officer was taken to AIIMS, Kalyani, by his colleagues and state BJP leaders for treatment. The BJP has assured the officer of all help.
Police have launched an investigation and collected the CCTV visuals of the apartment.