The violence that shook Gulshan Colony on the city’s southeastern fringes on Thursday evening and into the early hours of Friday was allegedly rooted in a bitter power struggle. Police said a gang sought to assert control over the syndicate supplying construction material in the area.
Control of the local autorickshaw union was also allegedly part of the turf war, according to senior officers.
Late on Friday, the police arrested 26-year-old Mohammad Amber from Gulshan Colony for his alleged role in the violence that has left residents in the Anandapur locality anxious and on edge.
“Amber is a local and is believed to have been present with other gang members who flaunted firearms and threatened violence,” a senior police officer said. “He has been arrested under various sections of the Arms Act and the West Bengal Maintenance of Public Order Act.”
Amber is the fourth person arrested after armed men wielding guns, sharp blades, and iron rods stormed the crowded market on Thursday evening, firing shots into the air. The group returned early on Friday to hurl bombs.
Earlier on Friday, the police arrested Ahmed Hussain, 43, also from Gulshan Colony, Raja Khan of Topsia Road (detained in Entally), and Mohammad Sajid, 29, from Gulshan Colony (taken into custody in Narkeldanga).
Officers said the gang is desperate to cement its dominance in this part of the city, near the Calcutta wetlands, an area long troubled by land disputes and turf wars linked to syndicates controlling construction material supplies.
Street showdown
Witnesses recounted how a group on motorcycles ransacked a biryani shop on Thursday evening, tossing utensils and damaging a parked two-wheeler. CCTV footage shows armed men in denim trousers and caps outside the shop, opposite rows of parked autorickshaws.
Another clip shows a man wearing a red cap and white T-shirt running down the street, firing shots into the air. Locals claimed these men belong to a gang led by Mini Firoz, a known local strongman.
Power struggle
“Control over the autorickshaw operators’ union brings in money,” said a senior Kolkata Police officer. The attacked shop stands opposite the area’s largest autorickshaw stand.
Real estate prices in Gulshan Colony range from ₹80 to ₹90 lakh per cottah, rising to nearly ₹1.2 crore for plots closer to EM Bypass.
“Property here is big business, and every project involves syndicates demanding a share from the supply of material like stone chips and bricks,” said a developer who requested anonymity.
Two rival gangs, one led by Mini Firoz and another allegedly backed by local councillor Sushanta Ghosh, are fighting for control over this profitable territory, the developer said.
Blame game
Councillor Ghosh, who survived an assassination attempt last November, claimed his followers were targeted because he was cracking down on crime. “We will fight this group bent on disrupting peace,” he said at a government outreach event. “The police were informed multiple times about illegal arms and outsiders in the area. This could have been avoided.”
Mini Firoz, however, denied involvement and told reporters he was in Bihar during Thursday and Friday’s violence. He accused Ghosh and others of targeting him because he reported unauthorised construction in Gulshan Colony with the alleged support of Ghosh.
On Saturday, Firoz posted on social media, warning that while he has remained calm so far, it would be unfair if he showed his “rudra roop” (fierce side).
Calcutta mayor Firhad Hakim, who said on Friday he was unaware of the situation, urged the police on Saturday to take more proactive measures in Gulshan Colony.