BUDGAM: In a horrific incident, a Kashmiri shawl seller was allegedly attacked with swords and looted of almost Rs 2 lakh by a group of people in Kolkata city Friday evening.
Shakoor Ahmad Shah, hailing from Daharmuna village of Budgam district, was returning from Sealdah to his rented accommodation in Jadavpur when he was intercepted by some persons near Park Circus railway station.
Taking to Kashmir Reader over phone, Shakoor said that he left his room on Friday morning for business purposes to collect money from customers and dealers.
“We work here mostly in winters and return in summers. This is the season when shawl sellers stop their business of selling shawls and start collecting balance payments from dealers and customers,” he said.
Shakoor said he boarded a local train from Sealdah in the evening and got down at Park Circus railway station to collect money from a customer there.
“At about 6:45 pm the train reached Park Circus railway station. I got down and was walking on a bridge beside the railway track when four persons intercepted me,” Shakoor narrated.
“The men abused me and then assaulted me. When I showed some resistance, they took out a sword and attacked me with it from left and right, till I fell on the ground. Then they stole my bag that contained Rs 1,95,000 in cash and also a few important documents,” he said.
“I was screaming in pain but no one came to my rescue,” he added.
Ajaz Ahmad Dar, a fellow Kashmiri shawl seller, told Kashmir Reader that a shopkeeper called him and informed about Shakoor’s condition.
“It took me almost 45 minutes to reach there. Till then he was lying unattended,” Ajaz said. “I somehow managed to get an auto rickshaw and took him to a hospital.”
Ajaz said that doctors at the hospital say that a sword was pushed into Shakoor’s abdomen and his intestines may have been damaged. “His thigh, face, back and head is also full of sword cuts and bruises,” Ajaz said.
“He left his native place to earn a livelihood for his family. After seeing his pictures with blood oozing out from his abdomen, thigh, face, and nose, his friends said that it was a miracle he was alive. Those men had tried their best to kill him,” Ajaz said.
He said hundreds of Kashmiris live in Jadavpur and earn their livelihood in Kolkata. “We come to this place every autumn and leave in summers,” he said.
“We are very scared here. The people who come to earn their livelihood here are peace loving people and stay here for six to seven months,’’ he added.
Following the incident, police visited the room of the victim in Jadavpur and filed an FIR at the railway police station, a copy of which is with Kashmir Reader.
Deputy Superintendent of Police GRPS Ballygunge, M Chakravarty, told Kashmir Reader that police had taken cognizance of the matter and lodged an FIR.
“We are investigating the matter and the culprits would be arrested soon,” he said, adding that Shakoor is stable and out of danger.
He added, “We also showed him pictures of wanted criminals for identification. In case any of them is found to be involved, he will be dealt with strictly.”
However, Shakoor said it was dark and he wouldn’t be able to recognize any of the attackers.
Shakoor was discharged from hospital on Saturday and had returned to his room in Jadavpur.
This is the second reported assault on a Kashmiri shawl seller in West Bengal. Earlier, Javaid Ahmad Khan of Soibug Budgam was attacked by a violent mob in the eastern state.
© #KashmirReader
