Arrests hint at syndicate hand in EM Bypass bar violence
Times of India | 2 August 2024
Kolkata: The father of Biswajit Mondal (24), one of the youths arrested on Thursday in the Anandapur bar attack and vandalism incident, has told cops that his son and others received a call on Monday evening to assemble for a “local syndicate meeting” after which the attack happened. Police suspect that attack was planned at this meeting.
“While we are certain that personal enmity over when the bar will be closed led to the attack, it seems that there was some preparation before the attack.The accused had probably wanted the bar to be shut according to their whims,” said a police source.
Cops added that everyone involved in the attack owed allegiance to one of the local syndicates that is fighting to “gain a stronghold” in the area.
According to police, Mondal, alias Tiger, was arrested from Anandapur around 3 am on Thursday. A close aide of main accused Sanjay Das, Mondal was helping the group control local construction and illegal parkings in the area. A resident of Mundapara under Anandapur PS, he was caught on CCTVs during the attack.
So far, five persons, including Sanjay (32), have been arrested. The two to be arrested on Thursday were Mondal and Ajit Das (35) alias Lombu, a resident of Madurdaha. Das was arrested from Nonadanga.
Barely a few days ago, there was a murder of a promoter in an adjoining neighbourhood, where yet again two opposing groups of construction material supplier were involved. This has already led Lalbazar to ask the detective department to keep a sharp eye on illegal construction activities and related rivalries in the area.
Around 11.30 pm on Monday night, 14-15 armed criminals vandalized a bar at Tagore Park under Anandapur police station area. They smashed four cars and several bikes. Inside the bar, the gang used sticks, rods and even axe to vandalize it.
Cops began their probe by collecting CCTV footage, which led them to identify Sanjay as main accused. On Wednesday, cops arrested two other accused, Dipankar Das and Mahindra Gupta from Anandapur.