Gang of 30 vandalises Dum Dum hotel, threatens manager, attacks staff & guests
Times of India | 31 August 2026
Kolkata: A group of assailants allegedly vandalised a bar-cum-hotel and assaulted its manager, employees and guests near the junction of Belgharia Expressway and Kalyani Expressway in Dum Dum on Sunday.
The hotel authorities alleged that the attack was carried out after the group failed to extort money from them. Police said that three persons have so far been detained in connection with the incident and are being questioned.
According to hotel authorities, three rooms on the third floor of the multi-storeyed hotel were also vandalised. The occupants of those rooms were allegedly assaulted by the attackers. CCTV footage from the hotel reportedly shows a group of men entering the premises and creating a ruckus.
According to locals, around 30 men entered the building around 5 pm on Sunday and allegedly started vandalising the premises without any provocation. “They first threatened the hotel manager. When he protested, they assaulted him and started vandalising the hotel. When we tried to intervene, they assaulted us as well. They then entered the hotel rooms and attacked the guests,” said Swarnakamal Ghosh, an employee of the hotel.
Some locals, however, alleged that the hotel had witnessed trouble on several occasions in the past over suspected illegal activities. “There have been several incidents of fights and assaults here in the past. Police had to intervene and bring the situation under control. There are allegations that some illegal activities are carried out at this bar-cum-hotel,” a local businessman said.
The hotel owner, Rana Mitra, however, strongly denied the allegations. According to him, a group of people had been demanding a substantial amount of money by making false allegations that objectionable activities were taking place at the hotel.
“They make false allegations and demand a huge amount of money. When we refused to pay, they came to the hotel and vandalised the premises. They also attacked our employees and guests. Several of our employees, including the manager, were injured and left bleeding,” Mitra said.
He added that he rushed to the hotel after receiving information about the incident and alerted the police. Officers from Dum Dum police station subsequently arrived at the spot and brought the situation under control.
A senior officer of the Barrackpore Police Commissionerate said, “We have received a complaint regarding the assault and vandalism. A few persons have been detained and are being questioned.”
Police are examining the CCTV footage and questioning those detained. The exact reason behind the attack and whether the incident was linked to an alleged extortion attempt are yet to be established, police said.