March 6: A teenager needed four stitches on his head after a man thrashed him in Haridevpur last evening for protesting his rash driving.

The man, Sunny Singh, 27, has been arrested and charged with sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons) of the IPC.

Sohail Dutta, 17, said Singh had beaten his parents when they tried to rescue him from his attack.

Dutta, a Class XI student of DPS Ruby Park will take his annual exam tomorrow. "I will write the exam to avoid repeating a year."

The teenager, who has acted in TV serials Apanjon, Rajjotak and Taare Aami Chokhhe Dekhini, and his parents were headed for a religious programme when they saw an injured relative on MG Road in Haridevpur's Dharapara around 7.30pm.

"My father stopped our car and the three of us walked to the other flank where our relative was standing," Dutta said.

"He pointed at a car some metres away and said it had hit his car. He had sustained injuries when he banged against the windshield on impact. We saw a traffic sergeant speaking with the driver of that car."

Dutta claimed Singh had hit another car and two bikes. He said he walked up to the sergeant along with his parents and requested the officer not to let go Singh as his rash driving had injured their relative and others.

"All of a sudden, Singh pounced on me and started raining blows. He was angry that we had spoken against him. He punched me in the face and head."

Dutta alleged that the sergeant had left the spot when Singh attacked him.

He phoned someone and within minutes some of his friends turned up and joined in the beating, Dutta's father Saibal, a government contractor, said.

Dutta's friend Subham Biswas, who was at a club close to the spot, rushed to his rescue. As more people of the area gathered, his four friends fled, Biswas said.

Singh could not escape. Cops shortly arrived and took him to Haridevpur police station.

"At the police station, Singh kept shouting that he would kill my son and husband once he was free," Dutta's mother said. "We are scared because Dutta is a local tough and he can do anything."

Singh is into supplying construction material in the area and he has a history of picking fights, an officer said.

Meeraz Khalid, deputy commissioner, south west, said a search was on for Singh's friends.