Kolkata Student Allegedly Abused For Smoking, Wearing Shorts

Kolkata: A young student in Kolkata has alleged that she was manhandled, abused and assaulted on Friday by a group of men who allegedly demanded to know why she was wearing shorts and smoking.

The woman's friend was also allegedly beaten up by the men, who had reportedly gathered at a campaign meeting of a candidate of the ruling Trinamool Congress.  

The 22-year-old was on her way home with her college classmate on Friday night when they stopped for a smoke in south Kolkata's Netaji Nagar. The men allegedly shouted abuses at her and attacked her friend.

"They told us you cannot wear these clothes and roam around and smoke here. They said you are ruining our culture. 'Stub out your cigarette immediately and never show your face here if you want to live'. You can do this in Mumbai or Delhi but not in Kolkata...," the woman told NDTV.

As this was happening, a message about women's development and safety played on the loud-speaker at the  political rally.

What followed the horror was all-night harassment by the police, the woman alleges.

"It was ridiculous. They took me to the police station, then asked me to file a complaint. They asked me to change the language four-five times. They kept asking...do you really want to file a complaint?" she said.

The police, she says, called her up at around 2.30 am and 30 minutes later two policemen showed up at her door saying she had not mentioned the date and time in her complaint.

"Then they asked for proof and a doctor's report. Which doctor can certify that my friend was slapped and I was manhandled? They called me at 4 am and said another correction is needed. Then I didn't get a copy of the FIR or police complaint."

No arrests have been made. The police say so far there is no proof of any political links to the incident.

Police officer Debasish Chakraborty has been quoted by the Press Trust of India as saying that the cops went to the woman's home only after asking her.