Three people, including an 18-year-old man, his 19-year-old friend and the younger man’s father, were allegedly assaulted, threatened with a firearm, stripped and paraded.
Police arrested the 13-year-old girl’s parents and maternal uncle following a complaint.
The incident has triggered political condemnation and renewed concerns about moral policing.
The alleged assault and public humiliation of three people in Kolkata’s Behala area on October 25, 2026, has sparked outrage and renewed questions about vigilante violence, moral policing and law and order in West Bengal.
An 18-year-old man, his 19-year-old friend and the younger man’s father were reportedly assaulted, threatened with a firearm, stripped and forced to walk naked along a public lane in the Sarsuna area after the teenager was seen with a 13-year-old girl. Police have arrested three members of the girl’s family in connection with the incident, according to media reports.
What Happened In Behala On October 25?
The incident reportedly took place on Sunday evening in Khudiram Pally, near Khalpar Math in Sarsuna, south-west Kolkata. Police were investigating an allegation that the 18-year-old had kissed the 13-year-old, although the circumstances leading to the confrontation remain unclear.
According to The Times of India, an acquaintance of the girl’s family saw the two together and informed her father and maternal uncle. The family members allegedly took the teenager and his 19-year-old friend to a nearby house, confined them and assaulted them.
The teenager was then asked to call his father. When the father arrived, he too was allegedly assaulted. He later claimed that the accused threatened him with a gun and forced him to choose between harming his son and stripping in public.
The father and the two young men were allegedly made to remove their clothes and walk naked for around 50 metres along the lane. A video purportedly showing the incident subsequently circulated on social media, triggering widespread outrage.
What Happened After The Video Circulated?
Residents gathered outside the girl’s family home on Sunday night and Monday, October 26, with some allegedly attempting to vandalise the property, the report stated.
Police intervened to prevent further escalation. The girl’s maternal uncle was reportedly caught by local residents, assaulted and handed over to the police, while other family members had allegedly left the house before officers arrived.
The unrest is also under investigation, with police required to establish the circumstances surrounding both the alleged assault on the three men and the subsequent confrontation outside the family’s home.
What Has The Police Investigation Revealed?
Police arrested the girl’s father, mother and maternal uncle on October 26 following a complaint by the 18-year-old’s father.
According to The Indian Express, the case includes provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita relating to attempted murder, assault, wrongful confinement, criminal intimidation and kidnapping, along with provisions of the Arms Act.
The alleged use of a firearm remains a key part of the investigation. Police were searching for the weapon and examining witness accounts and available CCTV footage to establish the sequence of events and determine whether others were involved. The allegations against the arrested individuals have not been proved in court.
How Have Political Leaders Reacted?
The incident has triggered condemnation and a political debate over law and order in West Bengal.
Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh called for an impartial investigation while Union minister and senior BJP leader Sukanta Majumdar condemned the alleged violence and sought strict legal action. CPI(M) central committee member Sujan Chakraborty criticised the state’s law-and-order situation and questioned the police response.
Why Has The Incident Raised Concerns About Moral Policing?
The Behala incident has highlighted the dangers of vigilante violence and moral policing, in which individuals take punishment into their own hands rather than allowing the law to take its course.
Even if the girl’s family had concerns about her interaction with the teenager, those concerns would not justify assault, threats or public humiliation. Any questions about the 13-year-old’s safety or the circumstances of her interaction with the older teenager must be investigated through lawful procedures.
The episode has also raised questions about the response of bystanders. The report cited Social activist Saswati Ghosh criticising the alleged violence and questioning whether witnesses had intervened. The incident has renewed debate about the responsibility of people who witness public violence.
Parallels could also be drawn to a separate incident of vigilante violence which occurred in Jamui. Though the specifics of the case are very different between the two incidents they still reflect an overall pattern present in Indian society.
