KOLKATA: A late evening stroll turned into a nightmare for a south Kolkata pet-loving couple, who were allegedly assaulted, and the woman was molested, by some locals after they attempted to enter a neighborhood playground with their pet dogs on May 30. Both of them are advocates.
The incident took place around 8:05 pm at a Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) ground. The ground is known as Jayashree Sangha Math, located in the Bansdroni area. The incident has sparked outrage over the growing intolerance against pet owners in Kolkata.
The victim's husband, a resident of Bansdroni, has lodged a formal complaint with the Bansdroni Police Station. The FIR was drawn up on June 10 after cops completed a preliminary probe.
According to the complaint, he and his wife had gone to this ground along with their pets for a routine walk. The dogs were securely on leashes.
However, their entry was forcefully blocked by a man, identified as Suman, who claimed to be associated with the club that manages the ground. Suman allegedly told the couple that pets were strictly prohibited in the premises of the ground, unless the owners were club members.
"We pointed out that there were already several stray dogs roaming freely inside the ground. When we asked why we were being not allowed, despite our dogs being safely leashed, he lost his temper," the victim recounted in his complaint. The complainant added that the man became absolutely furious and started shouting at them using abusive language, while threatening them with dire consequences.
The confrontation escalated rapidly, and in two minutes, Suman reportedly returned with two other unidentified miscreants before the trio launched an assault. Before they could even react, the men pounced on them and physically abused him. He further alleged that they did not even spare his wife, targeting her with highly offensive, obscene language and physically assaulting her with the clear intention to outrage her modesty.
Following the traumatic ordeal, the couple fled the spot. They stated that they have been living under "tremendous mental trauma" and fear for their safety since then.
The local club told TOI it has no links with the incident and that they too oppose any curbs on pet lovers.
Based on the written complaint filed by the couple, the Bansdroni police has launched an investigation into the matter. Highlighting the legal aspects, senior police officials stated that public grounds owned by the KMC cannot be arbitrarily restricted by local groups to stop citizens or their leashed pets.
Police are currently scanning CCTV footage from the neighborhood to identify the other two miscreants involved in the assault. No arrests have been made so far, but a search is underway to apprehend Suman and his aides.
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