A dispute over alleged forced eviction from former factory land in Howrah escalated after residents and shopkeepers reported attacks, threats and an attempted strangulation, prompting a protest and complaint at Dasnagar police station. The incidents were reported between Friday night and Saturday morning on Birajmayee Road, where around 300 tenant families have lived for decades.
According to a report by Anandabazar, the land belonged to the now-closed India Machinery factory. Workers are said to have built homes there over several generations, while shops and a market also developed on the site. Residents allege that people linked to a promoter have, over the past few years, claimed that the factory land was purchased and pressured tenants to leave.
The latest confrontation allegedly involved 15 to 20 people who entered the area on Friday night. Residents said women were assaulted and that one woman was attacked inside her home. Subinita Patra, identified as one of the affected residents, alleged that the attackers struck her with iron rods and tried to strangle another woman. These claims have not been independently established in the supplied report.
Another resident, Nilima Chongdar, alleged that families had been threatened with demolition by bulldozers if they did not vacate their homes by September 21. The residents and business owners subsequently demonstrated at Dasnagar police station and filed a complaint.
The dispute follows the reported issuance of eviction notices and the formation of the Dasnagar Banchao Committee, which has organised street meetings opposing the proposed displacement. The case highlights the uncertainty that can arise when long-established worker settlements, informal commercial activity and redevelopment interests overlap on land associated with closed industrial units.
Former Howrah Municipal Corporation mayor-in-council member Bibhas Hazra alleged that he had opposed an attempted removal of machinery from the closed factory in 2022. He also alleged that women were assaulted and residents threatened inside their homes during the latest incidents, and said he would approach the court in protest.
Howrah City Police said a complaint had been registered and that action would follow an investigation. A police officer said those involved in the disturbance were being identified. The supplied report does not state whether any arrests have been made, whether the alleged eviction notices were issued by a legally recognised landowner, or what title arrangements govern the occupation of the former factory land.
The immediate official next step is the police investigation into the complaint. The September 21 deadline cited by a resident is the next stated milestone in the dispute, while any court proceedings or formal action concerning the land remain to be established.
