3 held for assaulting female boxer in Kolkata

Kolkata: Three youths were arrested and sent to four days police custody on Saturday for allegedly assaulting a national level female boxer in Kolkata, a police officer said.

The Kolkata Police Department has also formed an investigation committee led by a Deputy Police Commissioner and is mulling strict action against the officer who was present at the spot of the Friday incident but allegedly did not come forward to rescue the victim.

The incident came to light on Friday afternoon, nearly two weeks after former Miss India Universe Ushoshi Sengupta was chased and harassed by a gang of bikers while travelling in an app-based cab at night. Seven youths were arrested in that case.

"Three individuals namely Rahul Sharma, Sheikh Firoz, Wasim Khan were arrested on Friday after Suman Kumari, a professional boxer, shared her ordeal in her Facebook page.

"All three accused were produced to Alipore court on Saturday. They have been remanded to four days police custody till July 3," a senior officer of Kolkata police said.

"We have formed a committee to probe the alleged inaction by the city police personnel at the spot. Action will be taken if he is proved to be at fault," he said.

Kumari, who recently won the Taiwan Professionals Boxing Championship, was passing by south Kolkata's Mominpur area on Friday morning when she was allegedly confronted by a youth, who accidentally came in front of her two-wheeler.

The youth abused her and later assaulted her in the middle of the road when she protested, Kumari said.

"A youth around 25 years of age came in front of my Scooty and started using slang languages with absolutely no reason. When I protested, he arrogantly started beating me," Kumari wrote on Facebook.

Similar to the incident of Sengupta, the victim accused the police of inaction and said the officer posted there asked her to lodge a formal complaint at a local police station instead of coming to her rescue.

"I earnestly requested the police personnel on duty who observed the incident but to my sheer astonishment, I not only found the policeman reluctant about the matter but also with great ignorance he advised me to go to the nearest police station.

"But as I was in hurry so I couldn't go to the police station and reached my office," she wrote and tagged the Facebook page of Kolkata Police headquarters Lalbazar.

During the attack on her vehicle, Sengupta had also alleged that the nearby police refused to take a complaint stating the area of the incident falls outside the limit of their police station.

One officer was suspended while two others were sent show cause notices in that case.

The Kolkata Police, however, sprang into action after Kumari's social media post went viral within a few hours and arrested three persons by checking the CCTV footage.

"We have identified and arrested the culprits within an hour, and shall ensure that they are punished," police wrote responding to Kumari's social media post.