Man Thrashed For Selling Chicken Patties Near Kolkata Gita Event, 3 Arrested

Three people have been arrested in connection with the assault of a man selling chicken patties near the massive Bhagavad Gita recital in Kolkata on Sunday. Soumik Golder (23), Swarnendu Chakraborty (32) and Tarun Bhattacharya (51) were arrested this morning in a case.

The case has invoked Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections relating to voluntarily causing hurt, mischief, unlawful assembly and deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class. Soumik Golder is the prime accused. All three will be produced in court today.

The arrests have been made after a video of the vendor, identified as Sheikh Riajul, being assaulted near Kolkata's iconic Brigade Ground circulated on social media. The video shows a group of people surrounding Riajul and grilling him on why he was selling chicken patties near the Gita recital event. He is first made to do sit-ups with his hands on his ears. Then a man asks his name. When Riajul responds, the slaps begin. The vendor keeps apologising and offers to leave, but the mob keeps abusing and assaulting him. Then they throw all the patties he carried in a box.

I, am fuming because a poor man was brutally attacked by ‘Hindutva' Goons during the “Gita Recitation” event of @BJP4India at Kolkata's Brigade Parade Ground.

A poor street vendor selling chicken patties near the venue was physically and mentally assaulted by individuals from… pic.twitter.com/Nvshmg2n2p

— 𝐑𝐢𝐣𝐮 𝐃𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐚 (@DrRijuDutta_TMC) December 10, 2025

The video sparked outrage on social media, as many criticised the assault of the poor vendor who was just trying to earn a living. Others said the sale of chicken patties near the Gita recital hurt the sentiments of those attending the religious event.

Sheikh Riajul narrated his ordeal to NDTV. "I have been selling veg and chicken patties in Kolkata for over 20 years. Something like this never happened to me. I was selling patties on Sunday. Suddenly, eight to ten people came and asked what I was selling. I said veg and chicken patties. Then they threw the patties to the ground and kept beating me. I lost stocks worth Rs 3,000," Rijaul said.

Kunal Ghosh, senior leader and spokesperson for the ruling Trinamool Congress, said the vendor had no plans to harm anyone. "Many people were seen wearing leather shoes and clicking selfies at the Gita recital. Do these acts maintain the purity of the event? If you don't want to eat, don't, but why will you beat him up? They should answer," he said.

BJP leader and Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar countered the criticism. "It is yet to be confirmed if the BJP or the organisers of the Gita event were involved in the assault. This probably happened because someone's religious sentiment was hurt. Can you sell alcohol in front of a mosque on a Friday? I would ask this question to the Trinamool and the Left. I challenge them to sell alcohol in front of a mosque during Friday prayer," he said.