Bengal tea stall owner claims assault for serving minorities

Shop owner Pratap Ghosh said roughly 25 men arrived at his house, shouted at him, before slapping, kicking, and hitting him with sticks.

Kolkata: A tea stall owner has claimed that a group of men assaulted him in West Bengal‘s Paschim Bardhaman for serving Muslim customers and that he has previously received threats.

The alleged assault took place on September 13 under the Kanksa police station’s jurisdiction in Dangal village’s Agaro Mile area. Shop owner Pratap Ghosh said roughly 25 men arrived at his house, shouted at him, before slapping, kicking, and hitting him with sticks.

Ghosh said the beating left him unconscious, while family members reported that the attackers also trashed the tea stall. Following the incident, Ghosh lodged a written complaint at Ausgram Police Station detailing the assault and property damage. Police have since launched an investigation.

Ghosh said he received prior threats over allowing Muslim customers to sit at the shop. “Before this, I was threatened two to three times for allowing Muslims to sit in my shop. On Sunday, they beat me because I allowed Muslims to sit there.”

He added, “I am a tea shop owner—can I stop someone from sitting in my shop? Everyone comes to my shop for tea, but they object to Muslims coming.”

The attackers, according to him, even threatened to set his shop on fire if he continued accepting Muslim customers. “They threatened me that if Muslims come to my shop again, they will set it on fire. I am afraid for my family. They can attack again at any time,” he said.