Calcutta, Feb. 13: A New Market merchant and his bouncer friend were arrested today on charges of assaulting a cop, police said.

Mohammad Junaid, 23, and his friend Ronit Dutta, in his 20s, were returning from Hedua on a bike when they jumped a traffic signal at the Beadon Street-Central Avenue crossing around 11.30am, an officer of the traffic department said.

When cops waved at him to stop, Junaid, who was riding the bike, sped away, he said.

"The bike's details were aired immediately. Dutta was riding pillion without a helmet," the officer said.

"A traffic sergeant spotted the bike at Muktaram Babu Street and tried to stop it. But the bike raced ahead. The sergeant gave chase on his motorcycle but Junaid kept speeding, jumping two more signals."

The officer said the bike had to stop in front of Mahajati Sadan because of pedestrians crossing the road.

As constable Pradip Banerjee, who was posted at the spot, walked up to them, Dutta got off the bike and started pushing and abusing Banerjee, the officer claimed.

Dutta, who lives near Elliot Road, is a bouncer by profession.

By then the sergeant had reached the spot and a crowd had gathered, he said.

Two more officers who were nearby reached Mahajati Sadan and as the cops took Dutta in custody and started for Jorasanko police station, Junaid melted in the crowd, another officer said.

Junaid, who lives in Taltala, was picked up from the New Market area four hours later. He runs his family business of dry fruits in New Market.

Apart from assaulting a cop on duty and stopping a public servant from discharging his duty, the two have been booked for rash and negligent driving.

Yesterday, another biker had been held on the charge of assaulting a traffic police home guard on College Street.

Instances of cops being assaulted have now become a daily affair, an officer in Lalbazar said.

"People dare to assault our men because political leaders in the past have got away with assaulting the police," he said. "The absence of stern action against offenders is also to blame."

In 2014, a Trinamul councillor and his supporters were accused of assaulting a traffic sergeant of East Jadavpur traffic guard for booking a taxi driver who had parked his vehicle in a no-parking zone.

Last year, mayor Sovan Chatterjee's niece was accused of assaulting a traffic constable.

After taking charge as the city's police commissioner, Rajeev Kumar had stressed that traffic violators, especially those riding without helmets, should be prosecuted.