Bengal: Denied leave, man stabs 4 colleagues, roams with a knife in Kolkata's Newtown, says report

A West Bengal government employee was arrested for stabbing colleagues after his leave request was denied.

A West Bengal government employee was arrested for allegedly stabbing and injuring his colleagues after his leave request was rejected in Kolkata's Newtown area, India Today reported.

Amit Kumar Sarkar was seen in a viral video walking through city streets with a blood-stained knife.(X)

Amit Kumar Sarkar was seen in a viral video walking through city streets with a blood-stained knife, alarming passersby who pleaded with him to drop the weapon. He was eventually arrested after a traffic police officer firmly ordered him to surrender, following which he complied and was taken into custody.

What led to the stabbing spree?

Amit Kumar Sarkar had applied for leave, but his request was rejected. Following this, he got into a heated argument with his colleagues and, in a fit of rage, launched a stabbing attack inside his office at Karigari Bhawan in Kolkata's Newtown area around noon on Thursday, sources said.

During the attack, Sarkar also injured a security guard of the office.

The viral video showed him strolling down a crowded road, clutching a knife in one hand while carrying a bag on his back and another in his other hand. As onlookers captured the scene on their mobile phones, he was heard warning them to keep their distance. The footage has since gone viral on social media.

During police interrogation, the accused claimed that his colleagues had made offensive remarks about his father, which enraged him, sources revealed. However, the investigating agencies have yet to verify these allegations. Authorities are also probing the source of the knife and how he acquired it.

A case has been registered against Sarkar, and a further investigation is underway. Police are also looking into whether he has any mental health issues, the India Today report added.

Similar incident in Gurugram

In a separate incident last month, a 26-year-old man was stabbed to death by his colleague following a dispute over work quality in Gurugram, police said on January 5.

The accused, 22-year-old Arjun Shavtal from Assam, was arrested, and the weapon used in the crime was recovered, officials said.

Police received information on the evening of January 4 about a stabbing incident at Hello Guest House in Sector 53. A team was immediately dispatched to the scene, where forensic experts and a dog squad conducted an investigation. The victim, Dalip Kumar, a Bihar native, was employed as a housekeeping staff member at the guest house, a police officer stated.

An FIR was registered based on a complaint filed by the victim’s brother, leading to Shavtal’s arrest. During questioning, Shavtal admitted to harbouring resentment against Kumar, who he claimed frequently criticised his work, threatened him, and even physically assaulted him.

Frustrated by the repeated scoldings, Shavtal took a knife from the kitchen and fatally stabbed Kumar, the officer added.