A group of 40-50 people allegedly entered a solid waste management factory in Dum Dum near Kolkata on Saturday evening, assaulted employees and demanded that people of their choice be appointed at the plant, prompting the company to seek government intervention and police action.
The incident took place at the Pramod Nagar facility of Eastern Organic Fertilizers Pvt Ltd, located off Belgharia Expressway, around 6.30 pm, according to the complaint cited in the report. The company alleged that the group created a disturbance inside the plant, assaulted several staff members, including a senior officer, and demanded extortion money.
The company also alleged that the group threatened employees with serious consequences. Sudhir Satnaliwala, managing director of Eastern Organic Fertilizers, said the people who entered the premises introduced themselves as associates of a local influential political functionary. He told the Times of India that some members of the group assaulted senior staff, including plant in-charge Ritesh Agarwal.
Satnaliwala said members of the group returned to the factory on Sunday morning and attempted to take control of its operations. He urged the state government to invoke the Anti-Goonda Bill to protect workers employed by small and medium-sized businesses. He also said he would write to Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and the industries minister seeking intervention.
The allegations place the dispute at the intersection of employment demands, industrial security and the functioning of a civic waste facility. The company said the group sought the appointment of people of its choice, while also alleging an extortion demand. These allegations have not been independently established in the material available for this report.
A police officer confirmed that a complaint had been received and that an investigation had begun. The police have not, according to the report, disclosed whether arrests have been made or identified those allegedly involved.
Dum Dum BJP MLA Arijit Bakshi offered a different account of the dispute. He said it appeared to have arisen from protests over alleged illegal activities in the area. The nature of those alleged activities and their connection with the incident at the factory were not detailed in the report.
The case now involves competing accounts: the company’s allegations of assault, coercion and extortion, and the MLA’s claim that local protests were linked to alleged illegal activity. The police investigation is expected to establish what happened inside the facility, identify those involved and determine whether criminal charges follow.
The company has sought intervention under the state’s Anti-Goonda Bill, while police have said that their probe is under way. No further official action or investigation timeline was provided in the report.
