KOLKATA: Three people including a youth, his father and a friend, were forced to strip naked and paraded allegedly at gunpoint in public through a street in Kolkata because the youth allegedly kissed an adolescent girl.
The incident happened on Sunday evening in the Sarsuna area, triggering public outrage in the locality.
Police have arrested three people, including the girl’s father and mother and her maternal uncle, after the youth’s father lodged an FIR with the Sarsuna police station. He has named all the three accused in the FIR.
Police have also registered cases against the accused in connection with an attempt to murder and abduction by holding the youth, his father and friend illegally in their custody under the BNS. A case under the Arms Act has also been filed by police.
According to police sources, the 18-year-old youth met the girl (13) at Khalpar ground in the Sarsuna area on Sunday evening. His friend was also there on the spot. A friend of the girl’s maternal uncle noticed the incident when the youth kissed her and informed her father and maternal uncle.
Later, the girl’s father and maternal uncle rushed to the Khalpar ground and took the youth and his friend to her house at Kshudiram Pally. Her maternal uncle also called up several other locals over the phone to come to Kshudiram Pally.
They allegedly heckled the two youths. They summoned the father of the youth who kissed the girl to come to her house.
Her family members, relatives and locals allegedly forced the youth, his father and friend to denude themselves at gunpoint. They stripped and paraded them for about 50 metres on the road in front of the girl’s residence.
Police are verifying the local CCTV footage to know exactly what had happened at Kshudiram Pally on Sunday evening, but no revolver has been traced so far from the area.
Police have also recorded the versions of the two youths, who have already undergone medical examination.
"The woman's family allegedly caught them together and subsequently confined the young man inside a house. The young man was allegedly assaulted by the woman's father and maternal uncle," an officer said.
"After that, the woman's family allegedly handed the man's father a firearm and threatened him with a choice: either to kill his son or walk naked through the streets," he said. The duo were subsequently stripped and allegedly paraded naked in public.
"We found that a friend of the young man was also reportedly assaulted and subjected to similar humiliation," he said.
A video purportedly showing the incident has gone viral on social media.
"The video sparked tension in the locality, as angry residents allegedly attempted to vandalise the woman's house. A police team rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control," the officer added, requesting anonymity.
