Garia: Two youths were beaten up in front of Garia station on Friday night after a parking row with men who allegedly control the Garia-Narendrapur auto route.

Sayak Chakraborty, 27, a television actor, was allegedly slapped and he and his friend Sukanta Kundu beaten up with bamboo sticks.

A resident of Patuli, Sayak had gone to Garia market around 10.15pm. They parked their scooty near the auto stand and walked up to the stalls a few metres away.

"Just as we were about to leave, some auto drivers told us the place was not meant for parking. They abused me while some other auto drivers tried to calm them," Sayak told the police.

"The argument was still on when one of the drivers suddenly slapped me. Even before I could gather my thoughts, others started beating me and Sukanta with bamboo sticks. Two auto drivers who tried to shield us were also beaten up," said the actor, who is seen in Mahaprabhu Sree Chaitanya.

Some of the men also flashed arms when Sayak and his friend tried to resist, according to the complaint filed with Sonarpur police station.

Sayak's glasses were broken and the scooty damaged.

"All the men were drunk and they simply refused to hear us out," Sayak told Metro. "They even yanked the seat off my scooty."

In the melee, Sayak went live on Facebook. The video shows some men threatening onlookers and abusing them.

Sayak and his friend went to Baghajatin State General Hospital where X-rays revealed injuries on his chest.

Police investigation has revealed that the attack was led by Gopal Singh, a local leader and member of the Garia bazaar committee. Gopal was arrested late on Friday on charges of inciting trouble. Bijoy Mondal, a local building materials supplier, and Prabir Ghosh, a member of the union that controls the auto route, were among the other assailants, who numbered 15 to 20, the police said.

Auto service was suspended on the Garia-Narendrapur route on Saturday morning.

Local residents alleged Gopal wielded considerable clout because of his proximity to local leaders. "There have been several complaints of extortion against him. He often misbehaves with auto passengers and auto drivers," said one of the drivers, who refused to be named.