A man who had protested against electricity theft in his neighbourhood and lodged a complaint with the power utility was allegedly hit on his head with the butt of a gun in front of his house in Narkeldanga in northeast Kolkata on Monday evening.
Mohammad Wasim, 28, a resident of Kasai Bustee Second Lane, alleged that one of his neighbours — Mohammad Shahid — had tried to shoot him first. But as the gun malfunctioned, Shahid allegedly hit Wasim on his head with its butt.
Wasim’s head was swathed in bandages on Tuesday. Younger brother Firoze said he had got eight stitches.
Officers of Narkeldanga police station have started a case under the IPC section related to attempt to murder and under the arms act. Shahid and one of his associates have been arrested, the police said.
Wasim earlier worked at a pizza outlet in the Gulf. He is now based in Kolkata and works for a book trader.
“A few months ago, I protested against Shahid for stealing electricity from the common line. I had informed CESC. His line was disconnected after that. He has held a grudge against me since then,” Wasim said.
People in the neighbourhood said Shahid was unemployed and had allegedly been running a racket that stole electricity and supplied it to houses that lacked power connection.
The Telegraph could not contact him or his family to seek their reaction.
Wasim was returning home around 6pm on Monday when he was allegedly attacked.
“I saw Shahid standing on the road. I sped past him. A second later someone standing along the road started screaming at me, asking me to look back,” Wasim said.
“I saw Shahid holding a gun with both his hands, aiming at me. He pulled the trigger several times but I am not sure whether shots were fired. I immediately bent down to collect a brick so that I could protect myself but before I could get up, I felt a sharp pain on my head. He had started hitting me with the pistol butt,” Wasim alleged.
Wasim went to the NRS Medical College and Hospital before visiting Narkeldanga police station to lodge a complaint.
“Based on the complaint lodged by Mohammad Wasim, we arrested Mohammad Shahid and one of his associates named Hyder. The gun with which the complainant was attacked has also been found. But this is also to clarify that there was no firing,” said deputy commissioner (eastern suburban division) Priyabrata Roy.
Kolkata has witnessed several incidents involving guns in the past few months.
Narkeldanga’s incident also points at easy accessibility of guns in the city and the impunity with which people brandish them to settle personal scores.
The police said they would question Shahid to know the source from where he procured the single-shot that was found in his possession.
