Daijiworld Media Network - Kolkata

Kolkata, Oct 23: An elderly woman from Bhawanipur in south Kolkata has accused five men of assaulting her after she objected to the bursting of firecrackers late at night during Kali Puja celebrations.

The incident reportedly occurred around 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday, when the woman, identified as Anupama Chowdhury of Asutosh Mukherjee Road, confronted a group of youths setting off loud firecrackers beyond the permitted hours. According to her complaint, sparks from the firecrackers caused a small fire at her residence, prompting her to intervene.

Chowdhury alleged that the group responded violently, attacking her and her brother when they tried to stop the nuisance. She claimed that although she approached the local police immediately after the incident, they initially refused to register her complaint, citing festival-night leniency during Kali Puja.

Accompanied by a lawyer, she returned to the police station on Thursday, after which an FIR was finally registered against five individuals. Police confirmed that an investigation is underway, though no arrests have been made so far.

Recounting the ordeal, Chowdhury told reporters, “The smoke filled my house, and I could barely breathe. When I went down to ask them to stop, they grabbed me and started hitting me. No one came forward to help.”

Expressing fear of further attacks, she also accused the police of negligence. Authorities have since assured that the matter is being probed.