Kolkata: A 15-year-old boy who will appear for Madhyamik exam next year and performs at musical soirees was apprehended by cops after a dispute broke out on Madan Mohan Dutta Lane when the teenager tried sheltering a stray dog that was in a panic due to the continuous bursting of crackers. The complaint against him was lodged by his relative, who claimed the boy had misbehaved with her and assaulted her when she objected to the dog entering the house where a Kali Puja was taking place on Sunday. The agitated dog, she claimed, had even tried to attack her 3-year-old son.“During Kali Puja, loud firecrackers frightened the dog and it ran into my grandmother’s room. There was a Kali Puja at home. My son spotted the dog and tried to drive it out. He took two biscuits and fed one to the dog before it got scared by more crackers and ran back in. One of our relatives, visiting our residence from Dum Dum, objected. She began abusing my son. My wife asked her not to use abusive language, and my son began recording the exchange. It was then that our relative slapped my wife. My son tried to save his mother, which led to a fist fight. Though several relatives in our house gave the same account, cops apprehended my son and has now put him in a juvenile home,” claimed the teen’s father.The initial confrontation escalated into full-blown street violence involving multiple family members and visitors, resulting in physical injuries, allegations of molestation, theft, and damage to personal property.According to the written complaint filed by the teen’s relative, a resident of Dum Dum, the incident did not take place as claimed by the victim’s father. “The trouble began when a stray dog entered the house between 7 pm and 7.30 pm. The 15-year-old provoked the animal while feeding it, causing the dog to become aggressive towards my family, especially my small child,” the complainant claimed.She added that when she requested the teen to take the dog outside, his mother hurled abuse at her. She further claimed that around 8.30 pm, the teenager physically assaulted her, tearing her clothes in the process.The initial complaint was subsequently lodged through a GD at Jorabagan Police Station. However, she alleged that after returning from the police station, a group of relatives restrained and attacked her, her husband, her mother, and her elder brother. The complainant alleged the assailants issued death threats with a knife, snatched personal belongings, and smashed her phone.The teen’s mother, in her counter-FIR, said her son was merely attempting to protect frightened street dogs sheltering from fireworks. “When the visiting relatives started abusing my son, I intervened. My son recorded the harassment on his phone, but the relative snatched the device and slapped him repeatedly,” the mother said.The counter-complaint further detailed that male relatives of the complainant physically assaulted the teen’s mother, touched her inappropriately, and hurt her foot, which had undergone multiple surgeries. The teen’s family also accused the visiting relative of snatching gold jewellery, including earrings and a gold chain, during the vandalism.Following initial investigations into the primary FIR, cops apprehended the 15-year-old student. He was latersent to a juvenile home. Cross-investigations into both complaints are underway and more arrests are likely, said cops.
