Route row halts auto ops between Baghajatin & Ranikuthi
Times of India | 3 August 2026
Kolkata: Commuters on one of South Kolkata’s crucial transit corridors were left in the lurch on Sunday morning after auto services along the Baghajatin–Ranikuthi route were abruptly suspended following an argument over unauthorised autos trying to ply the route. However, after the Garia Traffic Guard intervened, most of the autos resumed services by evening, cops said.
Around 11 am, a group of youths on 10-12 bikes allegedly arrived at the local auto stand. Witnesses and auto drivers alleged that the group attempted to enforce unauthorised route permits, claiming to act on the instructions of a local BJP leader. The situation escalated to violence when drivers and union representatives resisted their demands.
BJP has clearly stated that the party had authorised none to act in such a manner, and has warned of legal action.
“A set of drivers objected to a driver from another route entering the Baghajatin-Ranikuthi stretch. But that driver insisted, saying the local MLA had written on her letterhead to allow him to operate. Our officer intervened and asked him to show the papers. The matter was eventually settled,” an officer said.
A person managing operations at the Baghajatin stand stated that the bike-borne youths handed over a document listing vehicle numbers, demanding those specific autos be allowed to operate for a month before official permits were issued. “I contacted the MLA to verify the matter. She told me she had nothing to do with any such illegal act,” he said.
However, a CITU member claimed they were attacked by BJP-backed goons, a charge denied by cops. “He also claimed that not all autos were plying even till late evening.
Conversely, a member of the BJP auto union said, “The person not being allowed to drive is an elderly man. He went to local MLA Papia Adhikary and told her he was being prevented from operating his auto. The MLA wrote on her letterhead that he should be allowed to drive. But when he came to run the vehicle, he was not allowed.”
The sudden suspension of services left hundreds stranded along the long Baghajatin–Ranikuthi stretch, where autos serve as the primary mode of feeder transport. “I have been waiting for over 45 minutes to reach Ranikuthi. It is unacceptable that ordinary citizens are made to suffer whenever unions fight,” said Santosh Majumdar, a stranded commuter at Baghajatin.
Cops have been deployed in the area, and talks are on between local authorities and union representatives to restore regular auto operations.