Kolkata Police have arrested six men after a doctor and his wife alleged that they were harassed and abused during a confrontation at Acropolis Mall in the city’s Kasba area, with the incident raising questions about security and crowd control inside a major commercial and entertainment venue.
According to a report by Sangbad Pratidin, the couple, residents of Bashdroni, had gone to the mall to watch a film on Sunday evening. The woman alleged that six young men, who appeared to be intoxicated, made inappropriate comments directed at her. She objected to their conduct, following which the situation escalated near the cinema hall.
The woman also alleged that several women accompanying the group were inside the auditorium at the time. After the dispute began, they allegedly came out of the theatre and made a counter-allegation against the doctor and his wife. Cinema hall employees intervened as the confrontation continued and informed Kasba police, the report said.
Police officers reached the mall soon afterwards. The woman alleged that the couple continued to face abusive language even in the presence of the police. Officers then arrested the six men from the spot and took them to Kasba police station for questioning.
The arrested men have been identified as Anand Kumar, Suresh Kumar, Arvind Kumar, Srijan Darbar, Manoj Roy and Arindam Ghosh. Police have registered a case under Sections 126(2), 115(2), 3(5), 79, 74 and 351(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, according to the report.
The allegations against the group have not been tested in court, and the reported counter-allegation by the women accompanying them forms part of the circumstances being examined by the police. The investigation is expected to include questioning of the arrested men and examination of the events inside and around the cinema hall.
The woman and her husband were reported to be mentally distressed after the incident. The episode has also brought attention to the responsibility of malls, cinema operators and on-site security teams in managing alcohol-related disorder, intervening in disputes and protecting visitors in crowded private venues.
Kasba police are continuing to investigate the incident. Further details are expected to emerge from the questioning of the arrested men and the ongoing inquiry into the competing allegations.
