A taxi driver has alleged three men hit him on the head with a brick, kicked and punched him before driving away his car in New Town early on Saturday.

The alleged carjacking occurred on Shapoorji Road in New Town’s Action Area III around 3.45am.

Bablu Singh’s Swift Dzire was found abandoned around 20km from the spot a couple of hours later, police said.

Singh, who owns the blue and white car, said in his complaint with New Town police station that he had dropped off a passenger at the Shapoorji Pallonji complex when three men gestured him to stop.

“The moment he stopped and peeped out of the window, one of them hit him with a brick covered in a piece of cloth,” an officer said.

“The others pulled him out of the car and began kicking and punching him. Singh ran away, leaving the car behind.”

The spot where the alleged assault took place has vast fields on either side.

Singh apparently looked behind while running to see the men driving away his car, the police said.

The cabbie walked into the police station with his head bleeding, the officer said. He needed multiple stitches.

The car was found abandoned on a desolate road in Bhangar at daybreak. There were bloodstains and residents of the area were the first to spot the car and alert cops, the police said.

A team from Kashipur police station reached the spot as it is in its jurisdiction.

“There were bloodstains and liquor bottles inside the empty car,” an officer of Bhangar police station said.

Singh’s mobile phone that was lying under the driver’s seat rang in the presence of the police team. At the other end was Singh’s brother enquiring about his whereabouts. Cops asked his brother to reach the spot.

“He had not returned home and was not taking calls. We were worried because he never does that,” his brother is said to have told cops. Singh lives in Burtolla in north Calcutta.

Around the time his brother reached, Singh called on his phone from New Town police station. His brother took the call. A team from New Town police station brought Singh to the spot.

The police are still to make any arrests. “We are trying to scan CCTV footage of the area,” an officer said.

Cops from three police stations — Kashipur, Leather Complex and New Town — have launched a hunt for the culprits. “We are looking for gangs that operate at night and in the early mornings. It seems to be the handiwork of a local gang,” the officer said.

Drink driving arrest

An app cab driver was arrested in Jadavpur late on Friday on charges of drink driving and rash and negligent driving.

Guddu Rajjak, 23, was headed towards Jadavpur police station when he jumped the signal at Jadavpur, the police said. Rajjak made a U-turn when he realised a sergeant had given chase and almost hit another sergeant.

The cops followed the car to KPC Medical College and Hospital and arrested Rajjak on the hospital premises.