Ten days on, Golpark realty developers who beat up US citizen nabbed by police
Times of India | 9 February 2024
KOLKATA: Ten days after Kolkata-born US citizen Jishnu Nath was allegedly assaulted by members of a south Kolkata promoting syndicate for refusing to cough up 'extortion money', prime accused Khokon Sardar (56) and his brother Rabin alias Bhailo (52) were arrested by Rabindra Sarobar on Thursday.
Khokon was nabbed from the vicinity of Lake Gardens railway station in the morning while his brother was arrested a few hours later.A third accused, Bhola Pramanik alias Bapi, had been picked up on Feb 2.
Nath, 55, who is redeveloping his ancestral property on Kankulai Road off Golpark, was allegedly being harassed by the Sardar brothers to cough up a huge amount for not buying construction material from them.
On Jan 29, Nath was accosted by Bhailo and asked to pay up and punched in the eye when he refused.
"We have arrested both the Sardars. The total arrests have now gone up to three," said DC (southeast) Zafar Ajmal Kidwai. All three have been charged under IPC sections pertaining to wrongful restraint, assault and threat causing grievous injuries.
TOI ran a campaign for 10 days giving voice to Golpark residents who are at the mercy of promoting syndicates operating in the region.
"I was informed by police on Wednesday night that the brothers might try and seek anticipatory bail. They also asked me to be present at Alipore Court to complete legal proceedings. I arranged for a counsel who can represent me in case anticipatory bail is moved. Now that the arrest has happened, I vouch to fight this till the end," said Nath.
'Will do my bit so that no NRI faces such harassment' |
Police said the two prime accused, Khokon and Bhailo Sardar, hail from Lakshmikantapur and kept changing locations to elude the cops.
"Khokon was shuttling between Rabindra Sarobar, where he operates, and his hideouts in South 24 Parganas by local train. We got details of his movement and nabbed him from near the railway tracks," an investigating officer said.
Jishnu Nath had earlier approached the US consulate and Lalbazar separately after being assaulted by the promoter brothers. While he detailed his ordeal at the consulate, senior officers at Lalbazar had promised that all those involved in the assault would be arrested.
"I will do my bit so that no NRI has to go through this harassment ever. I do hope the cops will keep me updated on all developments. I was not informed about the arrest directly by cops," Nath said and thanked TOI for its campaign.
The Jadavpur University alumnus, who spent 18 years with an American IT major, has now decided to build a dedicated app and website through which NRIs can inform police, KMC and local councillors about the work that they plan to undertake at their residences in Kolkata.
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