The 38-year-old woman who was allegedly attacked, dragged, and molested for protesting against a group bursting loud firecrackers and throwing them towards her compound recounted the horror to Metro.
My family and I went downstairs to the ground floor of our apartment around 11.30pm to see off guests who had come for Bhai Phota. They left in an app cab.
Immediately after that, we saw an immersion procession passing in front of our building. Like other neighbours, we were watching the procession.
Suddenly, someone from the procession hurled a chocolate bomb towards us. The bomb landed a few feet from me. I was scared and immediately reacted. I told the man who was bursting crackers to be careful and not to throw them in a way that could harm others.
At this, one of the men came forward and challenged me, saying, ‘Sorry bolte hobe naki? (Do I need to apologise for that?)’.
I protested again, but by then the man and a few others who had ganged up started chasing me and my husband. We ran upstairs, pulling the collapsible gate behind us. We live on the third floor of the building.
We had barely reached our apartment when we heard people running upstairs. I was dragged out of my flat and pushed so hard that I lost balance and fell on the staircase. I was then dragged to the ground floor.
Some of the men, whom I could identify by face, grabbed my clothes and molested me. I was threatened with rape. They told me that if they wanted to rape me, no one could save me.
My son tried to save me, but he was pushed and shoved.
Later, we went to a hospital. To our surprise, we found the same men waiting outside. They again threatened us and warned us against lodging a formal complaint — all this happened in front of the police.
When we asked the police how they could allow someone to threaten us in their presence, one officer went to pacify the men.
Then we were referred to another hospital, where we again found the same men waiting. However, since the police had escorted us to the second hospital, they could not touch us.
My teenage son is in a state of shock. We are not sure how we are going to continue living in this locality.