Teacher Thrashed For Protesting Against Public Drinking In West Bengal: Cops

A drawing teacher was allegedly thrashed by a group of youths in Belgharia in North 24 Parganas district, after he protested against their public drinking early on Saturday morning, police said.

The incident took place in the Nandanagar area under Kamarhati Municipality's Ward No 31, triggering tension in the neighbourhood.

According to the complaint lodged, the victim, identified as Nirupam Pal, was returning home from a Kali Puja invitation around 6 am when he saw four young men and a woman consuming alcohol on the roadside. When Pal asked them to stop, they allegedly attacked him.

Pal, who suffered injuries to his face, eyes and chest, alleged that the assailants beat him mercilessly.

"They punched and kicked me, even hit me on the face. My nose and mouth were bleeding. If locals had not intervened, I would have been killed," he told reporters.

Closed-circuit camera footage of the incident, which has surfaced locally, purportedly shows several youths repeatedly hitting and kicking the teacher while he tries to shield himself. PTI, however, could not independently verify the authenticity of the footage.

Pal has appealed to the police for stringent action against the accused, fearing they might target him again.

"They said, 'Who are you to tell us what to do?' and then charged at me. I am worried they could attack me in future as well," he said.

Locals have also demanded the immediate arrest of the attackers. "Such incidents never used to happen here. It seems the accused are outsiders. If a teacher can be beaten up like this, what about ordinary residents? Police must act firmly," a resident said.

Police said they have received the complaint and are examining the CCTV footage. "Necessary legal steps will be taken," a police officer said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)