Father, 18-year-old son allegedly forced to walk naked on road at gunpoint; 3 arrested
New Delhi: An 18-year-old man, his father and a friend were allegedly forced to strip and walk naked along a crowded road in Kolkata’s Sarsuna area after being threatened at gunpoint by the family of a 13-year-old girl, police said. The incident took place on Sunday evening during Lakshmi Puja.
Police have arrested three people, including the girl’s parents and her maternal uncle, Rahul Burman, who has been named the prime accused in the case. According to police, the family allegedly objected to the young man’s relationship with the minor.
The incident reportedly began when the 18-year-old went to Basundhara Park to meet the girl. He and his friend were allegedly detained by the accused, who later called the young man’s father to the spot, a police officer investigating the case said on condition of anonymity.
Accused allegedly threatened to kill the 3 men
The investigating officer said Burman, who works for online delivery companies, allegedly pointed a pistol at the young man, his father and his friend. He threatened to kill them, and all three were allegedly assaulted during the incident.
According to the officer, the young man’s father alleged that Burman asked him to either shoot his son with the pistol or stab him with a knife that had been heated in an oven. When the father refused, the three were allegedly forced to remove their clothes and walk naked along the road.
The father also alleged that the accused deliberately took them to a busy main road instead of allowing them to use a narrow lane. Videos recorded by people in the area later circulated on social media.
“We were not allowed to walk along a narrow bylane when they wanted to parade us. They took us to the crowded main road. People shot videos which went viral,” the father said.
Police register multiple charges; tension grips area
Police have invoked several charges under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including criminal intimidation, kidnapping, unlawful confinement and outraging the modesty of a woman. The case also involves allegations concerning the use of an illegal firearm and a sharp weapon, a senior Kolkata Police officer said.
Meanwhile, residents of Basundhara Park allegedly ransacked the girl’s house on Sunday night and again on Monday morning following the incident.
Personnel from Sarsuna police station have been deployed in the area to prevent further unrest and maintain law and order. Tension continued in the locality as police investigated the allegations and the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The three arrested accused are facing allegations linked to the assault and the public humiliation of the young man, his father and their friend. Further investigation into the case is underway.