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Alongside the physical assault, there were also alleged attempts to steal his money and mobile phone, which were thwarted by local shopkeepers who intervened and rescued him.
A video shows Baby Kole beating up 66-year-old Anil Das, who had black ink smeared on his face.
A shocking incident unfolded in Kharagpur where Anil Das, a 66-year-old former senior CPM leader, was attacked and humiliated in broad daylight by a Trinamool Congress leader. A video of the incident shows Das with his face smeared with black ink by TMC leader Baby Kole and her associates. The video has ignited widespread outrage.
The assault occurred near Kharida More in Kharagpur while Das was traveling on his scooter. To escape the attackers, Das sought refuge in a nearby paint shop. Despite this, Kole and her followers tried to drag him out of the shop. Alongside the physical assault, there were also alleged attempts to steal his money and mobile phone, which were thwarted by local shopkeepers who intervened and rescued him.
Das claimed he was attacked by Kole for supporting a local family reportedly harassed by the TMC leader. In his statement to the media, Das recounted how the TMC leader had been involved in various misdeeds in the area, prompting protests at the police station. He described the premeditated nature of the attack, where he was thrown to the ground, beaten, robbed of three thousand rupees, and his mobile phone. The attackers even threatened him with a knife, forcing him to flee for his life.
“The leader there, Baby Kole, has been committing one wrongdoing after another in that area. We go to the police station to protest these wrongdoings. Today, when I was passing by, they were already waiting in a planned manner. They threw me on the road and beat me indiscriminately. I had three thousand rupees in my pocket, they snatched it. My mobile was in my pocket, they took it. Then they called for a knife. Out of fear, I ran into a shop. They tried to drag me out. They could have killed me today. This is what happens when you protest.”
The 42-second video of the incident shows at least 14 passersby and more than 20 bystanders watching Das being attacked, without intervening. When questioned by reporters, locals expressed their fear of retaliation from Kole and her gang or potential police harassment, explaining their reluctance to act.
In response to the public outcry, the TMC issued a show-cause notice to Baby Kole. A case has been registered against her at the local police station. Interestingly, a counter-case has also been filed against Anil Das, accusing him of molestation.
Kamalika Sengupta, Editor, Digital East of News18, is a multilingual journalist with 16 years of experience in covering the northeast, with specialisation in politics and defence. She has won UNICEF Laadli Awar…Read More
Kamalika Sengupta, Editor, Digital East of News18, is a multilingual journalist with 16 years of experience in covering the northeast, with specialisation in politics and defence. She has won UNICEF Laadli Awar… Read More
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