Kolkata outrage: ‘Moral police’ assault woman for coming home late

Even outrage is an inadequate reaction for a moral policing incident in Kolkata on the night of August 22, when a young woman returning home in a taxi was assaulted for being out late.

The woman who had just dropped off a friend in the same taxi was ambushed by three men near her home in Kolkata’s Gangulybagan. The men were carrying a bottle and stones and pelted her with all their might as she refused to step out of the taxi.

According to The Telegraph, though several people in the neighbourhood witnessed the assault, few tried to stop the goons. Two boys who protested were beaten up,and the goons smashed the windscreens and windows of the taxi when the driver refused to open the doors.

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The cab in which the young woman was sitting was also damaged ( Picture Credit: The Telegraph

First thing on August 23, the woman reported the incident at the local police station and identified all three of her assailants by name. She knew them all - Niranjan Das, Shibshankar Das alias Shibu and Nilkantha Das alias Kutti - because they live in the same neighbourhood. Shibshankar is a fish vendor while Nilkantha and Niranjan are known as land brokers.

"What I experienced I cannot believe even a day after the incident,” the woman told TheTelegraph. “The three started smashing the windscreens and the windowpanes with brick pieces, lathis and liquor bottles. They tried to drag me out of the vehicle and started assaulting the driver because he did not unlock the doors. I saw one of the attackers about to hit my head with a liquor bottle. In a reflex action, I raised my right hand and the bottle hit my forearm."

The injury caused by the bottle was treated with a stitch at Vidyasagar Hospital.

Kolkata’s deputy commissioner, south suburban division, BV Chandra Sekhar said: "We will conduct an inquiry. If the inquiry demands addition of other IPC sections, we will do so."

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A similar incident took place in Bagmari, North Calcutta,a few months ago, when a woman returning late from work was abused and assaulted by goons.

Incidents like this are fast losing Kolkata its reputation as a city that respects women.

Feature image credit: The Telegraph