Kolkata shocker: Woman beaten after protesting firecracker abuse during Kali Puja

A 38-year-old schoolteacher from Garia was allegedly dragged out of her home, beaten, and molested late on Thursday night after she protested against the reckless bursting of firecrackers during a Kali Puja immersion procession.

The attackers — part of a local immersion group — reportedly threatened to rape her if she approached the police.

The violence, which took place around 11.30 pm, unfolded after a powerful chocolate bomb exploded inside the family’s compound, narrowly missing the woman, her husband, and their teenage son.

The family had stepped outside their home to bid farewell to guests who had come for Bhai Phota celebrations.

“This deafening cracker landed right beside my wife. She only asked them not to throw fireworks so carelessly,” said her husband, who runs a small business.

According to the couple, one of the men in the group retorted mockingly, “Why should I say sorry for that?” before several others joined in and started hurling abuses.

Sensing danger, the family rushed upstairs and shut the collapsible gate on their third-floor flat. But the men allegedly broke it open, barged in, and dragged the woman down the staircase before assaulting her on the road.

Her husband and 14-year-old son, a Class IX student, were allegedly shoved aside when they tried to protect her.

“All through this, we were calling the police for help,” the husband said. “Two officers arrived some time later and advised us to get her medical examination done before filing a complaint.”

The woman was taken to a nearby hospital, where she received stitches on her lip and treatment for bruises. She was later referred to another facility for further care.

The family claimed that some of the same men involved in the assault turned up at both hospitals and continued to issue threats to deter them from lodging a formal complaint. Police officers were protected until the medical procedures were completed.

The family submitted a written complaint on Friday.

Meanwhile, members of the Kali Puja committee — whose participants were accused in the case — dismissed the allegations. They countered that it was the family who had pelted bricks and thrown firecrackers at the procession from their balcony.

Jayanti Ghosh, who was part of the immersion group, alleged that the confrontation began after a cracker from their side accidentally landed near the woman’s foot.

“She grabbed one of our members by the collar and demanded an apology,” Ghosh claimed. “Later, when we resumed the procession, the family started throwing objects and crackers from their house. A few of us, including children, got hurt.”

According to Ghosh, a nine-year-old girl was among those injured. The medical report from Baghajatin State General Hospital mentioned: ‘Physical injury after altercation, otherwise stable.’

The club members have said they intend to file a counter-complaint against the family.

Police officials confirmed that an investigation is underway and that they have asked the complainant's family to share any video footage showing the attack. As of Friday evening, no arrests had been made.

The disturbing incident adds to a recent pattern of festive-season violence across Kolkata, where residents who tried to stop unsafe or unlawful cracker bursting were attacked with impunity — regardless of age or gender.