Ranaghat, May 27: A group of armed miscreants had allegedly beaten up an elderly sweet maker, vandalized his sweet shop and also beaten up at least three of his family members including a minor girl on Sunday night when he had protested against torturing a mentally unstable person roaming aimlessly on road in Anulia-Kayetpara area of Ranaghat town.
The injured persons including the shop owner Laxman Ghosh (60) and his son Chandan were admitted to Ranaghat sub divisional hospital, whereas police initiating an investigation has so far arrested one of the accused, while at least ten others went absconding.
Trouble broke out on Sunday evening when members of a keertan team from adjacent Ghosh colony while passing in front of sweet shop in Kayetpara market started teasing a mentally unstable person. Local sources said, since he turned violent, some of the keertan team members started torturing him that prompted sweet shop owner Laxman Ghosh to protest their atrocities.
However, Ghosh’s protest made the keertan team members angered as they attacked him. “It was horrible experience as the persons who were chanting holy hymns a few minutes ago turned brutal and started beating up me with whatever they got on the spot. I just told them not to irritate the mentally ill person. Unfortunately the attackers included some women. They punched me, kicked me and beaten up with sticks when my son and other family member noticing the attack rushed to rescue me. But, they were also beaten up in the same way”, Laxman Ghosh said.
His son Chandan Ghosh (25), who suffered a fracture on his nose said while lying on a bed at Ranaghat sub divisional hospital, said, “I was at home on last evening when I heard my father’s rescue call…I rushed to the shop and found some youths beating him up. I tried to resist them, when they attacked me. They punched me, hit me repeatedly with bricks on my head and face. My mother came to rescue us, she was beaten up in same way. My cousin brother and minor sisters also had tried to stop them and beaten up by them brutally with metal buckets, iron rod until they fell unconscious”.
“Later they left us and vandalized the shop. They went on rampage, smashed the show cases, glass covers, spoiled the sweets, overturned the container, utensils and looted cash also until the local residents and other shop owners rushed in and chased them out from the area”, Chandan said.
A senior officer of Ranaghat police said, “We have so far arrested Chottu Ghosh (30), who led the attack along with others. We have received a complaint against other identified persons who are mostly absconding”.
Chottu was produced before additional chief judicial magistrate’s court and taken for police custody for five days.