Kashmiri shawl seller attacked, miscreants flee with Rs 2 lakh

Kolkata: A Kashmiri shawl trader who has been doing business in Kolkata for more than eight years was slashed with a knife by some miscreants who decamped after snatching nearly Rs 2 lakh from him. The incident took place near Park Circus railway station on Friday evening.

The trader, identified as Shafur Ahmed Shah has sustained several cut injuries with the miscreants inflicting several slashes with the knife. Shah has lodged a complaint with the Ballygunge GRP alleging that four miscreants were involved in the attack. According to his complaint, the miscreants escaped after snatching cash worth Rs 1.95 lakh that he was carrying with him.

Sources in the Ballygunge GRP informed that the trader was carrying the cash to hand it over to a businessman from whom he had taken a loan. "I had just crossed the rail tracks and was walking by its side under the bridge when I was surrounded by four persons. They asked me whether I am a Kashmiri and when I answered in the positive, they attacked me with a knife. I suffered several cut injuries and when I fell down, they snatched the money I was carrying and fled," Shah said.

He managed to call up one of his friends who lives nearby. The latter came to the spot and rushed Shah, who was badly bleeding, to the National Medical College and Hospital where he was treated and discharged. Police informed that Shah is a resident of Santoshpur in South Kolkata.