An artisan in his sixties was allegedly attacked on Sunday night at Muraripukur in Maniktala over a subscription for Kali Puja that was demanded by some members of a local club.
Four men were arrested on Monday in connection with the alleged attack.
Paritosh Chakrabarty suffered an injury to his head after allegedly being assaulted by a group of men. He received five stitches and hright eye was bruised.
Chakrabarty’s family filed a complaint with Maniktala police station. A probe is on.
An idol-maker who also dealt with decorative items for idols, Chakrabarty told the police that around 11.30pm on Sunday he was on his way home from his studio when a group of men stopped him.
The group of men asked whether Chakrabarty would pay the subscription for this year’s Kali Puja. They alleged that last year, he had not paid them any amount for the puja which is held in the premises of the club adjoining a salon that the idol-maker once owned in Muraripukur.
Chakrabarty said the salon had been shut for almost two years.
“One of the men from the group told me that last year, I had not paid any subscription. I told them I was caught up with my work and couldn’t. I told them that I was ready to pay extra with this year’s subscription to make up for the gap but the amount they were demanding was too high for me,” Chakrabarty told police.
“One of the men hit me on my face, saying I was acting smart,” Chakrabarty said.
Police said Paritosh told them that the group of men demanded ₹2,001 from him. The group allegedly assaulted him and dragged him nearly 500m and brought him close to a lane leading to his house after he said the amount was too high for him. One of the members then picked up something and hit him on his head. He slumped with blood oozing from his head and his right eye, swollen.
His son took him to a hospital and later informed the police about the attack.
“There were some five to six persons in the group. A case has been drawn up and four persons have been arrested,” a senior officer of the Kolkata Police’s Eastern Suburban Division said. “We are on the lookout for other members of the group.”
Chakrabarty’s family members said they felt terrorised after the attack and were not sure what to do next, even after four people were arrested.