Kolkata: A 39-year-old homemaker, mother to a nine -year-old autistic child, has alleged that she has been subjected to constant stalking, verbal abuse and threats by a neighbour and his associates every time she tries to take her child out for his counselling and therapy sessions.
The Beliaghata Police has registered a case even though no arrest has been carried out yet. Activists and educators, working with autistic children, have demanded immediate action.
The complainant reported that the accused, identified as Tapan Das, has disrupted her life through relentless stalking in the past three weeks, leaving both the mother and the child traumatised.
“The accused was a Trinamool Congress worker before switching sides in 2024 and joined the BJP. He kept a low profile for the past couple of years after he waswarned earlier by locals for misbehaving with women. After Trinamool lost the elections in May, the control of the local club went to his hands. Since the past three weeks, he has virtually stationed himself near the club entrance and has harassed me at least four times...I do not go out alone ever because of my child. His jibes are always directed at me and my son. Sometimes he would violently ask me and my family to return home with my child. At other times he will make derogatory comments about my lifestyle. Since I always accompany my child to his counselling and therapy sessions, he has made it a habit to follow me on his bike and pass objectionable comments at me and my child,” recalled the complainant. Her husband is a local trader.
Things worsened on July 1 when Das blocked their path and allegedly spat betel spit at her. He also allegedly attempted to touch her inappropriately.
“I was extremely scared. It had never happened here with me before. I could not even cry out for help as my child was tightly holding my hand. After the incident, I went to the BJP Phoolbagan party office to complain. They were sympathetic and listened to my ordeal. They asked me to take the legal route and complain to police. I consulted a lawyer and decided to lodge a police complaint,” the woman told TOI.
Activists point out that children on the autism spectrum are hypersensitive to external stress. The trauma of witnessing an assault on a primary caregiver can severely derail months of therapeutic progress, compounding the psychological harm inflicted on the family. “We often come across cases of such harassment to parents and their children with conditions like autism, intellectual disability or hearing and speech impairment. In many cases, they face such violation from people known to them. Complaints are rarely lodged because the caregivers are already overburdened and often hesitate to take on the additional emotional, social and legal burden of pursuing a complaint,” Mayank Kumar, psychiatric social worker.
Senior police officers confirmed that an FIR has been registered with charges related to stalking, assault with intent to outrage modesty and criminal intimidation. Officers are currently reviewing CCTV footage stationed around the KG Bose Sarani neighbourhood and the local club to establish the exact sequence of events. “We are treating this matter with utmost priority. A dedicated team is mapping the area’s surveillance network, and strict legal action will follow as soon as the evidence is verified,” said a senior officer.