Kolkata: Six labourers held for molesting woman, thrashing neighbours

KOLKATA: At least two persons were severely injured while protesting the molestation and harassment of a woman near her home by a group of construction workers affiliated to a New Town syndicate on Sunday night.
While one of the protesters, a 59-year-old PWD engineer, received five stitches on his head, a 45-year-old suffered severe injuries to his legs. Both were taken to a local hospital and returned home in the early hours of Monday.They are currently on bed rest.
Police have arrested six persons identified by the woman and the protesters as part of the gang that attacked them. “This is hooliganism at its worst. This is not what the law and order should be in a smart city like New Town — women here cannot walk alone at night and any protest is dealt with vicious attacks. I have been living in New Town for seven years, but something like this has happened to me for the first time,” said Debabrata Ranu, who was hit with a plastic chair.
According to the complainant, a 35-year-old businesswoman who stays as a paying guest in New Town’s BC Block, the incident happened around 8.20pm when she was walking home along street 165 after getting off an auto at Narkelbagan crossing.
“While I was crossing an under-construction building, some labourers passed a remark and one said he wants to hold me. I didn’t stop then, but after crossing the road, I found a group of middle-aged and elderly men outside a building. I told them about it and they instantly accompanied me back to the place,” said the woman.
On being confronted, the labourers denied having harassed her and got into an argument with the elderly men. When one of the labourers was slapped, they made some calls and, within moments, a group of men arrived in a car and multiple bikes and pounced on the elderly men. The woman started recording the events on her mobile.
“We were outnumbered. There were no cops despite repeated calls and we began to run back. The men chased us and, as we reached our compound, they began kicking and punching us. I was surrounded by four men who tried to hit me with a chair when Debu da (Ranu) shielded me and got injured. He started bleeding from the head as the men retreated, warning us not to mess with them again,” said Arindam Ray (45), a regional manager with a private firm.
A cop team reached the spot after a while, raided the construction site and picked up four men. Later in the morning, two other men were picked up. A senior officer said more arrests will follow.
“I am thankful to the senior neighbours who stood up for me and ended up paying a hefty price. But I will not back off. I remember the face of each tormentor who teased me and assaulted the elderly men,” said the woman.
Meanwhile, a New Town residents’ association has vowed to take the issue forward and organise a protest march and demonstration at the incident spot on Tuesday evening.
(The victim's identity has not been revealed to protect her privacy as per Supreme court directives on cases related to sexual assault)