Sukanta Nandi, the Kasba resident now in custody for assaulting a cop, comes from a family that sees nothing wrong in beating up a policeman.

When Metro reached Sukanta's house at Naskarhat in Tagore Park, off the Bypass, his father Sushanta proudly claimed that he had punched a cop himself two months ago and got away without being booked.

His son on Sunday allegedly beat up two policemen after they had tried to book him for riding a motorbike without wearing a helmet.

'Two days before Puja, a sergeant was trying to book a man known to me. He was not carrying the documents of his motorbike. I asked the officer to let him go. When he refused, I punched him on his nose,' said Sushanta, a real estate developer, who claims to have good connections with Trinamul leaders and policemen.

'When the officer tried to arrest me, I called 50 supporters from the party office and the officer was forced to settle the matter.'

An officer of Kasba police station, however, said he could not recollect any such incident.

Sushanta said he ran a business of buying and selling disputed properties. Sukanta runs a car rental service with just one car, owned by his father, and has recently started developing a plot near the Bypass.

Sushanta's claim of being close to Trinamul could not be verified but neighbours said he was often seen with some senior leaders of the party and took part in processions.

The local Trinamul leadership, however, denied Sukanta or his father was linked to the party. 'Many people try to associate themselves with our party but we condemn such hooliganism and demand tough punishment for them,' said Sushanta Ghosh, a local Trinamul leader and mayoral council member in charge of roads.

'My son got angry with the policeman and so refused to show the documents. Who wears a helmet while riding in one's own neighbourhood?' the father wondered.

Sushanta alleged his son had been framed and that one of the cops allegedly assaulted - Arindam Panda - had a fractured arm from before.

'Recently I had a trouble over a disputed plot with an officer of Kasba police station. That is why they framed my son. But I told my son not to worry and to relax for three days, after which he will be out on bail,' Sushanta said.

The Nandis used to stay as tenants at a three-storeyed house on a 3.5-cottah plot at Tagore Park. They later bought the property.

'We bought the property for Rs. 4.5 lakh seven years ago,' Sukanta's mother said. The current price of each cottah of land in the area is between Rs 20 and 30 lakh.

The house has been renovated recently and has marble-topped floors and staircases. The exterior walls are fitted with tiles from the ground floor till the terrace.