A 55-year-old tailor from Nadia’s Santipur is battling for his life at a private hospital in Calcutta after goons attacked him with an axe and rods on Monday night when he tried to save a teacher from them.

The government school primary teacher, Kuntal Sinha Roy, 38, had become the target of the goons’ ire for protesting against gambling on his residential premises. When the goons came to attack him, Kuntal called up tailor Chanchal Sinha Roy, who happens to be his neighbour too, for help.

According to Kuntal’s complaint with Santipur police, Chanchal immediately rushed to the teacher’s residence and asked the criminals to leave. Angry goons then attacked Chanchal on the head and broke his leg.

In his complaint lodged with Santipur police, Kuntal said he had called up tailor and neighbour Chanchal Sinha Roy for help when the goons had come to attack him on Monday night. “Around 10am on Monday I asked some youths to leave when I found them gambling and creating a nuisance in the backyard of our residence,” he said.

“They left then but returned in the evening in a big group armed with sharp weapons and iron rods. They tried to barge inside by breaking the door of my house,” Kuntal said. “Fearing a ghastly attack, I called up the police. Since they were taking time to arrive, I sought Chanchal kaku’s help. I thought that as an elderly man, his intervention would help. The goons, however, struck his head with an axe, injuring him critically outside the door of our house,” Kuntal said.

The goons also attacked Chanchal with iron rods and broke his left leg, Kuntal said. He said the goons left only when other neighbours had rushed to their rescue.

The police have started a case of attempt to murder against 27 persons on the basis of the complaint lodged by Kuntal. A police officer said two prime accused in the case were arrested on Wednesday night.

An investigating officer of Santipur police station said: “We have arrested two prime accused who led the attack. However, the other accused are on the run ever since the condition of the victim started deteriorating.”

Chanchal is undergoing treatment at the intensive care unit at a private hospital in Calcutta where he was shifted from Kalyani’s JNM Hospital. His condition has taken a turn for the worse since Wednesday evening. A doctor said he suffered heavy bleeding.