CNCI doctor assaulted by 4 bikers in Ballygunge Phari road rage

Kolkata: A 45-year-old doctor attached to the Chittaranjan National Cancer Institute (CNCI) was allegedly assaulted by four motorcycle riders in a road rage incident on Hazra Road near Ballygunge Phari on Friday evening.The incident took place around 6.45 pm on Friday at one of south Kolkata's busiest junctions, as the doctor, Supratim Ghosh, was returning home to Nayabad from the hospital, police said. According to his complaint, four men on two motorcycles intercepted his car near Hazra Law College, alleging that he had made a dangerous manoeuvre close to their bikes.
"I was driving along Hazra Road and concentrating on navigating the evening traffic when the incident unfolded. The four bikers cut into my path and began abusing and threatening me. They appeared intoxicated and extremely aggressive," Ghosh said in his complaint to the police.Alarmed by the threats, Ghosh asked the men to take the matter up with the nearby traffic police, which further enraged them. With his car window only partially open, he managed to fend off an initial assault attempt and drove towards the Ballygunge Phari traffic police post.Forced to stop at the Ballygunge Phari traffic signal, Ghosh got out of his car and headed towards the traffic post. The attackers followed and struck him on the left ear with fists and blows. He tried to fend them off and alerted the on-duty sergeant.Undeterred, the group stormed into the post, verbally abusing him and landing another blow to his left ear in the officer's presence, catching even the officer by surprise."Even as I was describing my situation and seeking help from the sergeant, they came there again and surrounded me. I asked them to keep a safe distance, but they continued to abuse and threaten me. They then struck me again near my left ear in front of the traffic policeman," Ghosh alleged.The doctor later sought primary treatment at Ramakrishna Mission Seva Pratishthan.He appealed for a thorough investigation, judicial action, and CCTV footage to establish the truth. Dashcam footage from his car clearly showed the assailants stopping their bikes and advancing to attack, the doctor claimed.Gariahat Police Station registered an FIR and identified the four young men as residents of a nearby slum cluster. "We suspect they are regulars who come to Ballygunge Phari in the evenings. We have detained a few persons and hope to make arrests soon," an investigating officer told TOI.