Security beef-up after mob violence on customs officer at Rajpur housing society
Telegraph | 30 October 2025The decision was taken at a meeting at the housing complex on Tuesday night, attended by local MLA Lovely Maitra and officers from Sonarpur police station.
“We met the residents of the housing complex to tell them that the administration is with them and that they need not feel insecure. The decisions taken by the administration were also conveyed to the residents,” Maitra said after coming out of the meeting on Tuesday night.
Senior officers from Sonarpur police station, including inspector-in-charge Asish Das and officers-in-charge PC Party Surajit Das Sarkar, attended the meeting. Sources said their personal mobile numbers were shared with the residents as a confidence-building measure.
Police sources said it had been decided that police patrols would be intensified around the housing society at night, and a civic volunteer would be posted near the housing between 5pm and 11pm to manage the traffic.
“There was a request on behalf of the residents that the road outside the housing is very narrow and that there is a lot of traffic congestion. We have decided to post a civic volunteer on that stretch to manage the traffic between 5pm and 11pm,” said a senior officer of the Baruipur police district.
The residents of the housing complex have requested a police outpost outside the complex, as the nearest police station is a bit away.
Senior officers said the night patrol will be intensified in the area to ensure such attacks don't recur.
The secretary of the housing society, Nitesh Bansal, said the residents were “satisfied” with the meeting's outcome.
Last Thursday, a mob of around 200-250 men barged into the housing society and trespassed into tower 11 to reach the fourth floor, where customs officer Pradeep Kumar stays with his family.
The mob had ripped open the apartment’s collapsible gate and attacked Kumar, resulting in multiple injuries. Kumar and the other residents of the housing had alleged that the police reached the spot late.
Police said a fifth person had been arrested in connection with the incident on Tuesday night. “Shabir Hossain alias Montu has been arrested in this case. He is the fifth person to have been arrested. He is seen carrying a rod at the scene of the crime as captured in CCTV footage,” said an officer of Sonarpur police station.
Earlier, four others had been arrested and had been granted bail by the court. Police on Thursday produced Montu before the Baruipur court and submitted a prayer to add a section of attempt to murder. The prayer was granted. Montu has been remanded to police custody.
