Barasat, July 24: Like any other seven-year-old, Gopal Bhattacharya did not like it at all when policemen raided his house to arrest his father. He poured a mug of hot water on them.

He now faces a charge of attempt to murder. The boy from Ichhapur in North 24-Parganas was interrogated all through Thursday at Gaighata police station. The police had been to his house the previous night.

Gopal (name changed) was arrested. He was not put in a lock-up because he was seven but he spent the night at home, under police vigil.

A team of four went to arrest Gopal’s father Dinabandhu, a petty thief. “He was not at home. Someone sprinkled hot water on us when we wanted to search the rooms. It was really hot and we received burn injuries. We left empty handed,” said an officer. But the force returned to pick up Gopal, his mother and elder brother.

“Had we kept him in a lock-up, he would have spent the night with hardcore criminals. He will be at home till an officer produces him in court tomorrow,” said Biswarup Ghosh, the sub-divisional police officer.