A youth in Raiganj allegedly thrashed his friend and unleashed two of his pet dogs on him on Wednesday when the latter asked for the money that he had lent the former.

Police are in search of alleged attacker Biswadeep Ghosh.

Debdyuti Roy, the victim, was provided treatment at the Raiganj Government Medical College & Hospital (RGMCH).

Debdyuti, who is a wholesaler of shoes and stays in the Bandar area of the town, had lent ₹6,000 to his friend Bishwadeep, a resident of Milanpara in Raiganj, ahead of Durga Puja in 2024.

Bishwadeep is a medical representative by profession and also deals in pet dogs.

Both are in their early 30s. Bishwadeep is reportedly close to Krishna Kalyani, the Trinamool MLA of Raiganj.

Debdyuti said that despite multiple reminders, Bishwadeep repaid only ₹1,000 to him.

“On Wednesday, as I asked him to clear the rest ₹5,000, he asked me to reach his home,” he said. There, Bishwadeep "bashed me up without any provocation", said Debdyuti. “He also unleashed two of his pet dogs on me. The dogs have bitten and injured me,” Debdyuti added. "When I collapsed on the spot, he further beat him up."

The commotion drew residents to the spot. They rescued Debdyuti and took him to the RGMCH.

He was administered with first-aid and anti-rabies vaccine.

Debdyuti later filed a complaint with Raiganj police.

During the incident, some people shot videos of the assault which later surfaced on social media.

As the news spread, Bishwadeep went into hiding. Police visited his house but could not find him. Calls made to him went unanswered.

“We are searching for him,” said a police officer.

MLA Kalyani was quick to distance himself from Bishwadeep.

“Trinamool does not support such acts. Whoever is responsible will face appropriate action, regardless of their political affiliation,” he said.