N Kol Shop Owner Files FIR After Extortion, Abuse Bid
Times of India | 13 June 2026
KOLKATA: A 48-year-old female shop owner in north Kolkata’s busy commercial district was allegedly stalked, verbally abused, and faced an extortion attempt by a fraudster, who used the name of a female municipal councillor for intimidating the victim.
The incident took place in Jorabagan Police Station jurisdiction on June 5. It has raised serious safety concerns for women entrepreneurs in trading hubs of the city.
According to the police complaint, the trouble began around 11.30 am when the accused, identified as Matadin, a resident of Sobharam Basak Street, entered shop on Kali Krishna Tagore Street. Matadin had reportedly been loitering around and stalking the business owner on earlier occasions as well.
During the morning encounter, the accused aggressively demanded the woman’s personal mobile number. When she refused, he flew into a rage and left, only to initiate a series of intimidating calls.
The situation escalated dangerously later when Matadin returned to the shop.
“He instructed me to step over to a neighboring jewelry store. When I did, he began speaking to me in a highly indecent, abusive, and offensive manner,” the complainant stated. “When I protested against his behavior, he threatened me and demanded Rs 2.5 lakh,” the victim alleged..”
To amplify the pressure, the accused claimed he had significant backing, asserting that a large group of influential people was working alongside him. He also fraudulently dropped the name of the former female municipal councillor
Investigators have since clarified that the councillor has absolutely no connection to the case and that the name was dropped only to threaten the victim..
The intimidation took a physical toll on the merchant. “The accused continued to hurl foul insults and aggressively drove me out of my own store. The shock and fear were so overwhelming that I became severely unwell and collapsed,” the victim recounted.
Following the ordeal, a formal complaint was lodged at the Jorabagan Police Station. Acting on the signed statement, the police have registered an FIR against Matadin. A senior officer stated that a hunt is underway to apprehend the accused, and security around the commercial stretch has been heightened.