Sonarpur condo residents boycott local traders, autos after mob attack
Times of India | 29 October 2025Local slum-dwellers, such as shopkeepers and auto operators in the Dakshin Jagaddal area, as the residents alleged, were trying to tarnish their image by spreading rumours about them in the locality.
The residents of Deeshari Megacity at Dwarir Road under Sonarpur police station off Southern Bypass have been grappling with "complex issues" after the attack on one of the residents, Pradeep Kumar, a Customs inspector who had a tiff with an auto operator on Oct 23 night.
Following an altercation, around 150-200 people from the local slum gathered around the complex. Around 53 of them barged in, broke open the door of the victim's flat and assaulted him.
The incident drew the ire of the residents, who lodged a complaint against the hooligans while there was also a counter-complaint by the auto operators. Even after four auto operators arrested in connection with the incident were granted bail, cops are probing the complaints and collecting evidence, according to sources.
Nitesh Bansal, secretary of the apartment owners' association at the complex, said: "These people have been trying to malign our reputation by spreading rumours that we misbehave with them or we assault and manhandle them. These are all false allegations, and that is why we have decided to boycott the local traders and auto operators."
Gora Bose, vice-president of the association, added: "We cannot force any resident to stop buying things from local groceries or avail of the auto service. Rather, we have made an appeal to all the residents, explaining to them the reason behind the boycott. If stringent measures like this are not taken, those people may feel empowered to repeat such crime in the future."
An auto operator said, "Our union has taken steps against the auto drivers involved with the incident. They made a mistake by entering the complex and assaulting the resident at his flat. We hope the situation will be normal in some time as the residents of these local housing complexes are our main customers."
Most of the residents use their own cars, while Toto service has also started on the same route where the autos ply. While several departmental stores and malls have sprung up in the Sonarpur locality, residents of housing complexes in the area also use e-commerce services.
However, there is interdependence on each other in the area. While the residents of the complex depend on locals for household work, the latter bank on them for earning.
The residents of the complex have not closed the gate for domestic help, drivers and gardeners living in the same locality.
Arindam Chakraborty, a resident, said: "Domestic help are coming to work as usual, and our drivers are all local people. Some gardeners have stopped coming to work after the incident." Another resident, Partha Dasgupta, said: "The attack has created a divide between the two sets of people. If those people don't correct, the local economy will suffer."
The domestic help working in the complex are also worried about the future. Manasi Maiti, a domestic help, said: "We don't have to go far in search of work after the complexes came up. If the residents throw us out, we will be in trouble. We don't support our neighbours who carried out the rampage that day."
