Siliguri, 31 October : In Siliguri’s Hongkong Market, a distressing incident unfolded as shopkeepers brutally assaulted five members of a single family during broad daylight today.
The unfortunate chain of events commenced when a teenage boy from the family requested a pair of slippers from the shopkeepers. However, the first pair he received didn’t fit properly, prompting him to ask for a better-fitting pair. Regrettably, instead of providing assistance, one of the shopkeepers resorted to body-shaming the boy, remarking that he was overweight and insinuating that he consumed his father’s earnings, not those of the shopkeepers.
This exchange escalated into a heated altercation, culminating in a physical assault on the boy by the group of shopkeepers. During the course Shopkeepers also physically manhandled a lady on her chest.
The young boy, identified as Pukar Chettri, was accompanied by his mother, Amrita Chettri (Gurung), his aunt Devi Basnet from Dharan, Nepal, and two cousins when this shocking incident transpired. The shopkeepers showed no mercy, relentlessly pursuing the boy with rods, beams, and belts, with the boy desperately evading their blows. The chase persisted until they reached the Sikkim Hotel.
After escaping, the teenager promptly reported the incident to his father, who rushed to the market to intervene. Tragically, he too fell victim to the violent assault, enduring blows from belts and rods.
In response to this grievous assault, the family lodged a First Information Report (FIR) against the shopkeepers at the Panitanki Police outpost, seeking justice against these hooligans. As of the compilation of this report, no arrests had been made, leaving the family fervently demanding stringent action against the assailants.
Indeed, this is not an isolated incident. Similar occurrences have taken place in the Hong Kong market involving consumers. In the past, there have been several instances where innocent consumers were mistreated.
For consumers from Nepal, Darjeeling, Sikkim, and even the broader North East region, Siliguri serves as a crucial shopping destination. However, the discrimination exhibited by shopkeepers, as seen in this Hong Kong market incident, has once again deeply shaken the city of Siliguri. It has left women feeling unsafe even in broad daylight.
Uma Sha Report
