Kolkata: An 80-year-old man and his 76-year-old wife have alleged criminal intimidation, outrage of modesty, and illegal encroachment by an illegal temporary food stall owner and his friend operating outside their residential premises on Galiff Street (now known as Mahatma Sisir Kumar Sarani) in north Kolkata.The dispute originated over an unauthorized commercial food stall setup allegedly operating even during late-night hours for the past three weeks. The complainant raised serious safety concerns regarding the operation, citing the use of open flame equipment in close proximity to the residence. “The illegal hawker is setting up the stall every Saturday evening from 8.30 pm to 2am on Sunday. Concerned about the smoke and fire risk caused by the commercial gas stove placed just outside our ground-floor home—especially since our apartment complex no longer has built-in fire emergency services – we objected,” stated the victim.The female complainant claimed that an individual residing in the vicinity intervened aggressively, confronting the victim who was recording the encroachment. The individual engaged in severe verbal abuse, crude gestures, and targeted harassment intended to outrage the woman’s modesty.When an elderly family member and another building resident attempted to intervene and diffuse the situation, the accused reportedly charged at them and issued explicit death threats, further escalating the hostility before pushing and assaulting them.Following the incident, a complaint was lodged at the Shyampukur Police Station. Authorities have registered a case under Sections 79 (word, gesture, or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and 351 (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Further legal action is expected as the investigation progresses.Cops are currently reviewing CCTV footage from the surrounding area to verify the sequence of events, identify all individuals involved, and assess the illegal encroachment on the footpath.
