Woman boxer assaulted in Kolkata, three held after social media post

The woman, who recently won a boxing championship in Taiwan, was riding a two-wheeler to reach her office at Writers Building in Central Kolkata from her residence in Mominpur in the south-west part of the city.

Nine days after seven people were arrested in Kolkata for harassing former Miss India Universe Ushoshi Sengupta, the Kolkata Police arrested three people on Friday for allegedly abusing and harassing a woman boxer, who is also a state-government employee.

An international woman boxer was allegedly verbally abused and physically assaulted on Friday by a man when she was going to office in a two-wheeler. (FACEBOOK)

The woman, who recently won a boxing championship in Taiwan, was riding a two-wheeler to reach her office at Writers Building in Central Kolkata from her residence in Mominpur in the south-west part of the city.

She alleged that a man, who appeared to be about 25 and was trying to board a bus, suddenly came in front of her vehicle. She applied the brakes and managed to avoid an accident.

However, the man allegedly started showering abuses and also hit her, the victim alleged. It was about 11:15 am on Friday morning.

When the victim chased the bus that the man boarded, he came down and even held her by the throat, alleged the pugilist.

“I narrated my experience to the policeman on duty at the spot. But he did not take any step and asked me to lodge a complaint at the police station,” said the victim.

However, she was in a hurry and went to her office. The police turned active when she posted her predicament on social media in which she tagged the Kolkata Police.

Police officers said three people, Rahul Sharma, Sheikh Firoze and Wasim Khan, were arrested and also claimed that they have admitted their crime.

The authorities wrote that they arrested the accused within one hour of the victim posting her experience on social media.

“Police did not wait for a formal complaint and an FIR was registered on the basis of the social media post in South Port police station. A team led by deputy commissioner (port) scrutinised CCTV footage in the area and nabbed the accused,” said the statement.

“I did not expect such prompt action by the police,” said the victim.

Incidentally, after Ushoshi Sengupta was chased and harassed in Kolkata on June 18 (when she was travelling in a cab), Kolkata Police Commissioner Anuj Sharma had drawn up a standard operating procedure and instructed all police stations to accept any complaint promptly without directing the complainant to approach some other police station.

“The prompt action by the police is such a welcome step. Making the city safe for women is becoming a movement,” said Sengupta on Saturday.