Kolkata: A 40-year-old theatre activist, identified as Subhankar Dassharma, has alleged that he was assaulted near Shyamnagar railway station in North 24 Parganas by some men last month.The victim lodged an FIR at Noapara Police Station on Friday. In his complaint, he alleged that he was subjected to the assault on the suspicion of being a Muslim due to his attire. Police has started an investigation into the matter.He sent his complaint to Noapara Police Station on Aug 4 via an email after recovering from the injuries and trauma.The victim is a member of the theatre group ‘JanaGanaMana.’ The attack took place around July 28 midnight, while he was returning to his residence at Lenin Nagar after participating in a theatre performance. “I had just left Shyamnagar railway station and was walking towards Chowringhee crossing to find public transport when four men confronted me on a deserted stretch. They asked whether I was a Muslim after noticing that I was wearing a black kurta and pyjama,” he told TOI.He claimed that when he questioned their assumption, the men turned aggressive. “Rather than denying their claim of being a Muslim, I responded that there was nothing wrong with belonging to the community and that Muslims had an equal right to live in the country. My reply enraged them. I was repeatedly punched in my face, around my eyes and ears, before being kicked in the ribs and back after I fell to the ground. I lost my consciousness during the attack and remained on the road for some time,” he added. Later, he dragged himself to home. Before filing the complaint, he sought treatment at the emergency department of BN Bose Sub-Divisional Hospital in Barrackpore.Doctors later found that he sustained injuries in his rib cage and had a ruptured eardrum.“A case has already been registered on the basis of his complaint. We are looking into the matter seriously. The CCTV footage of the exact location and it’s adjoining areas are being examined,” a senior police officer of the Barrackpore Commissionerate said. Theatre activist Joyraj Bhattacharya condemned the assault and said the theatre fraternity would support Dassharma.
