Alipore furniture stores ransacked after theft allegation against locals
Times of India | 10 March 2025
123 Kolkata: Several shops selling old and refurbished furniture at Gopalnagar in Alipore were ransacked and vandalised after a tiff broke out between a shop owner and two local customers on Sunday afternoon. Four persons were detained for questioning on Sunday night, an officer said.
According to reports, two men had gone to one of the shops to buy a mirror. It is alleged that on finding no one in the shop, one of them attempted to take a mirror that was kept in the store. During this attempt, the shop owner arrived and accused them of stealing, leading to a physical altercation.
"Within no time, the altercation escalated into a full-fledged brawl. The two customers called a group of 40-50 men from Chetla and they ransacked multiple stores in the area and injured several shop owners. We called cops for help but before policemen came, the group had injured many of us," a shop owner said.
Another shop owner alleged that the men behind the attack actually wanted to terrorise them so that they vacate the space in old buildings. Those buildings can then be razed and new buildings can be promoted. "A promoting racket is working here for the past few years and has been trying to intimidate us into vacating the space. We have been doing business here for more than 100 years and will not leave our shops at any cost," said another shop owner.
The shop owners staged a road blockade, demanding arrest of the accused. They also filed a written complaint at Alipore police station.
Kolkata: Several shops selling old and refurbished furniture at Gopalnagar in Alipore were ransacked and vandalised after a tiff broke out between a shop owner and two local customers on Sunday afternoon. Four persons were detained for questioning on Sunday night, an officer said.
According to reports, two men had gone to one of the shops to buy a mirror. It is alleged that on finding no one in the shop, one of them attempted to take a mirror that was kept in the store. During this attempt, the shop owner arrived and accused them of stealing, leading to a physical altercation.
"Within no time, the altercation escalated into a full-fledged brawl. The two customers called a group of 40-50 men from Chetla and they ransacked multiple stores in the area and injured several shop owners. We called cops for help but before policemen came, the group had injured many of us," a shop owner said.
Another shop owner alleged that the men behind the attack actually wanted to terrorise them so that they vacate the space in old buildings. Those buildings can then be razed and new buildings can be promoted. "A promoting racket is working here for the past few years and has been trying to intimidate us into vacating the space. We have been doing business here for more than 100 years and will not leave our shops at any cost," said another shop owner.
The shop owners staged a road blockade, demanding arrest of the accused. They also filed a written complaint at Alipore police station.