A dispute between two groups at Kankulia, close to Golpark, on Sunday night resulted in shots being fired in a residential community, leaving at least one person wounded.

Ten people were arrested during a night-long raid. Sources have reported that the individuals detained were associated with the gangster Biswajit Poddar, also known as Sona Pappu.

Residents of Kankulia expressed their shock over the gang war in their backyard, with bullets being fired, bottles and bricks being thrown.

“We came to know about the firing incident through news channels. It is alarming because this could happen again. If a policeman can be injured, the safety of
the average person is in jeopardy,” said a homemaker who lives on Kankulia Road.

Police sources stated that the conflict erupted around 8pm on Sunday after a picnic at Panchanantala when a gathering of more than 40 men stormed into the south Calcutta neighbourhood and launched an attack on another group in front of 23K Panchanantala Road.

Officers of Rabindra Sarobar police station rushed to the spot to diffuse the tension, but the police jeep was attacked and damaged.

The police said one policeman suffered a bullet injury in his thigh and has been admitted to the hospital.

Officers at Rabindra Sarobar police station have filed three cases, including one lodged by the police for assault of policemen on duty and damage to the police vehicle.

The second case has been registered by a group of men who alleged that Sona Pappu’s men attacked them with bottles, bamboo sticks and opened fire at them.

The third complaint has been lodged by the other group, who have levelled similar charges.

Reacting to the incident, Kolkata Police commissioner Supratim Sarkar said on Monday that 10 persons had been arrested and that “no one would be spared.”

“It has emerged during the investigation that Sona Pappu’s men launched an attack on Bapi Halder’s men over a business enmity,” said a police investigator.

Biswajit Poddar, who lived with his parents on GS Bose Road in Kasba, earned the nickname “Sona Pappu” after he started managing his father Hari Narayan Poddar’s gold shop at Picnic Garden.

According to sources, Poddar’s initiation into the crime scene began with his control over syndicates that supplied building materials in certain sections of Kasba, Tangra, and Tiljala. His purported “business” allegedly grew across various areas of south Calcutta as he transitioned his base to Gariahat.

Poddar has 17 criminal cases against him with Kolkata Police.

Poddar’s crime graph includes alleged murder, attempted murder, extortion and several other crimes.

Poddar is known to have been close to Trinamool leaders and also served as a “source” for officers of the anti-rowdy squad of the detective department.

He was last arrested in 2021 for allegedly trying to kill one of his rivals, Munna Pandey, minutes after he stepped out of the Presidency jail.

Presently, Poddar is out on bail. He lives in an apartment under the jurisdiction of Gariahat police station, as an earlier court order prohibits him from entering Kasba, his residential area.

On Monday, Metro found Poddar’s phone switched off when it tried to contact him for his comments on the accusations directed at him.

The people arrested in connection with the violence have been remanded in police custody till February 9.