A teenage boy was allegedly blindfolded, doused with petrol and set on fire near a pond in Kolkata’s Garfa area on October 27, with police arresting three people, including two minors, in connection with the assault. The victim suffered burn injuries to his chest and abdomen and is undergoing treatment in hospital, where his condition was reported to be stable.
The incident occurred in Nelinagar, under the Garfa police station area in south Kolkata. According to police, the teenager was returning home when a group of youths allegedly intercepted him and took him towards the pond. The accused allegedly blindfolded him and forced a helmet onto his head.
Police said the teenager objected and tried to remove the helmet. The accused then allegedly attempted to make him drink petrol before pouring the fuel over him. A video purportedly showing the assault has circulated on social media. In the footage, one person is seen taking a bottle of petrol from a scooter’s storage compartment, while another throws a matchbox towards an accomplice. The teenager is then seen running as flames engulf him, before local residents come to his aid.
Police suspect that the assault may have been recorded to create a social media reel. However, officers are also investigating other possible motives. The victim’s family has alleged that the attack was linked to a financial dispute involving Rs 500 that the teenager had borrowed from one of the accused around six months ago. The family said the amount had already been repaid.
The complaint was lodged by the victim’s family at Garfa police station, following which police began investigating the incident. The three accused were arrested on Thursday. Their identities have not been disclosed in the supplied report, and two of those arrested are minors.
A police officer said investigators were examining the video and questioning the arrested persons to establish the sequence of events and determine the motive behind the assault. Police are also examining the circulating footage as part of the investigation.
The case places attention on the use of mobile-phone footage and social media circulation in a serious assault, while the police inquiry continues to establish the circumstances leading to the attack. The victim remains under medical care as investigators question the arrested accused and assess the evidence.
