The Saha residence in Rail Park. Picture by Sanat Kumar Sinha

Calcutta, May 17: After the tragedy, the attempted mob justice. Over a dozen youths today stormed the home of the owners of the Sodepur shop where 12 people died in a fire yesterday, and failing to find them beat up a heart patient who stood nearby.

The attackers, who claimed to be relatives of the Readymade Centre victims, also prepared to torch the Sahas’ house in Rail Park to “avenge” the deaths of their near ones.

But they drove off when neighbours, who said a fire in the congested locality would have spread quickly from house to house, came rushing out.

Eleven men and a woman, mostly shoppers, had suffocated to death when a part of the popular garment store caught fire and a controversial decision to pull down the shutters trapped the victims in a gas chamber. Some 20 were injured, of whom one died today.

Two of the Sahas, caught in the fire, are in intensive care in hospital while the rest have fled to an unknown destination fearing for their lives.

Faced with a locked house, the young men who came in a Tata Sumo and a Maruti van, some wearing bandannas round their heads, vented their anger on a local youth.

Raju Nag Biswas, 30, was standing in front of the house, close to Readymade Centre, around 1.40pm when he saw the cars pull up. About a dozen men jumped out and rushed to the house, but seeing it locked turned towards Raju.

“I was watching them curiously when they rushed towards me,” Raju said. “They looked very angry and I suddenly felt scared.”

Raju said the men started abusing him, thinking he was the watchman. “They were shouting, ‘Maar saala ke (bash him up). He is guarding the house of the cold-blooded killers. Don’t spare him’.”

Raju, secretary of the local residents’ committee, pleaded with them saying he was not the guard and was a heart patient. “But some of them grabbed my collar and began slapping me.”

The attackers decided to burn the house down. “They put their hands through the house’s grilles and pulled out inflammable material like plastic and polythene sheets that lay on the verandah. They heaped them in front of the gate and prepared to set them ablaze.”

But the commotion brought other residents running. “Seeing so many people around them, the youths jumped into their cars and sped away,” Raju said.

“The locality is very congested,” said resident Naba Das. “Had the Sahas’ house been set on fire, it could have spread to our homes, too.”

Neighbours said the two Saha brothers, Jibon and Narayan, lived in the house with their wives and two children, Sankar and Rupa.

While Jibon has fled with his wife, daughter and sister-in-law, Narayan and his son Sankar are at the Apollo Gleneagles hospital. Doctors said Sankar was on ventilator but Narayan was less critical.

The police have started a case against Jibon and Narayan for inadequate safety measures at their shop. The offences are non-bailable.

“Jibon is in hiding while Narayan is undergoing treatment. Once he recovers he will be arrested,” said Supratim Sarkar, North 24-Parganas superintendent of police.