Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat Seeks FIR Over Alleged Assault, Vandalism At SRFTI Event In Kolkata | Video

Kolkata: The Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayat (ABGP) Paschim Banga Prant has lodged a complaint seeking registration of an FIR over an alleged disruption and assault during its organisational programme at the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) in Kolkata.

In the complaint letter, ABGP stated that it had booked a programme hall at SRFTI after making a payment of Rs 32,700 for the hall, apart from payment for lunch. The programme was scheduled to begin at around 1:30 pm and was attended by around 250 members, it said.

“The Akhil Bharatiya Grahak Panchayet (ABGP) Paschim Banga Prant had duly booked a program hall of SRFTI, Kolkata for its scheduled organisational program after making due payment of 32,700/- for hall booking and separately for Lunch. The programme was scheduled from 12.30 pm onwards, post lunch the programme commenced today at around 01:30 p.m. in the presence of around 250 members," the letter read.

The complainant alleged that around 10 minutes after the programme began, around 30-40 people carrying banners of the SRFTI Student Union, including one bearing the slogan "Resist Hindutva Fascism", forcibly entered the hall and disrupted the event by raising slogans.

“Barely 10 minutes after the commencement, some fringe elements (almost 30-40 in number), along with Banners of the SRFTI STUDENT UNION (stating the slogan " Resist Hindutva Fascism"), forcibly entered our program hall and started creating a ruckus and disruption by anti-religious slogans, the statement read.”

The complaint alleged that the group vandalised and removed photographs of Bharat Mata and Swami Vivekananda, damaged several mementoes and idols of Maa Durga, and allegedly vandalised the ABGP banner.

It said, “They immediately vandalised and kicked out the Photo of Bharat Mata and Vivekananda, threw away several mementoes and idols of Maa Durga, vandalised the banner of Akhil Bhartiya Grahak Panchayat and smashed the banner with their feet and spat on it.”

The organisation further alleged that when its members attempted to push the group out, they found the main entry-exit door had been closed from outside. It claimed that around 100 people, including some elderly persons, had gathered outside the hall.

The statement further said that “When we tried to push them out of the programme hall, we realised that the main entry-exit door was closed from outside and through the emergency exit we found that outside the hall, a mob of around 100 so-called students, including some aged persons, gathered with the intent to attack us.”

According to the complaint, the members were subsequently assaulted, and their programme was forcibly disrupted. It also alleged that female and elderly members were physically harassed and misbehaved with, while some members were removed from the SRFTI premises.

“Mob thereafter assaulted our members, forcibly disrupted our lawful program, physically harassed our female and age-old members and misbehaved with them, and subsequently, threw some of our members out of the SRFTI premises, ABGP said.”

The complainant further alleged that some members inside vehicles in the parking area, including a bus, were held from around 2:15 pm to 7:30 pm and were allegedly denied drinking water and access to toilet facilities.

ABGP said, “Some of our members who were inside the parking area in their vehicle, including one bus, were illegally held from around 02:15 p.m. to 07.30 pm, which included female members and senior citizens.”

It claimed that several members sustained injuries and were receiving medical treatment. The organisation also alleged that its members were threatened and that it had video and photographic evidence of the incident and the alleged involvement of the accused persons.

“Many of our members have been beaten, sustained injuries, panicked and suffocated, beaten under captivity and threatened to be killed, and now are under treatment,” the statement noted.

ABGP has requested police to investigate the incident and take action over the allegations of criminal trespass, unlawful assembly, assault, wrongful confinement, sexual assault of its female members, disruption of a lawful gathering and threats to its members.

It said, “In view of the above, you are requested to kindly investigate the matter immediately, ensure necessary stringent penal actions against the perpetrators for offences of criminal trespass, unlawful assembly, assault, wrongful confinement, sexual assault of our female members and disruption of lawful & peaceful gathering and threat to the lives of our members.” 

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