Kolkata: People were busy shooting the nude parade, no one helped, 30-year-old Sujoy Halder, the first one to come to the rescue of the father and son who were paraded naked in Sarsuna on Sunday, told TOI on Tuesday.Halder has a bike repair centre-cum-garage near Khudiram Pally for the past decade, around 400m from the spot, where an 18-year-old boy, his father and a 19-year-old friend were stripped at gunpoint. “I will never forget the scene. There were these three persons, walking naked, with dozens of people around them. The elderly man was weeping, beside himself with shame and fear. Yet, none of those filming them, or those standing near the auto stand or those at shops bothered to come forward to help the three. That is a haunting memory I will carry,” he said.Halder said he was working at his garage when he heard a commotion. “Suddenly, there were loud noise and catcalls. A few of us came out to check. I saw several people gathering around the three men, who were completely naked. Two men on the road were taking photos, I do not know if those two were the main culprits. Yet, no one on the street tried to reach out to the traumatised three,” he said.Halder was the first one to step forward and give the three vests and half pants, which he kept in his garage to wash vehicles. He also guided the three to his garage, escorting them away from the crowd. “When the older man finally stopped crying, I gave him water. I told him to go to police. A customer of mine offered to take them to the police station. The man kept saying he was being threatened that they would be framed in a rape case if they tried to contact police. My customer and I counselled him and finally managed to change his mind,” he said, adding police spoke to him as well but were yet to record his statement. “I have helped them in whatever way I could,” he said.Resident Monoranjan Halder said he saw the three men walking almost naked. “After the three were taken inside the garage, I asked the people on the road to leave. I was shocked beyond words. This has permanently scarred the area,” he said. Another resident, Tapas Mondal, said those who filmed the incident should also face action but pointed out that police should ensure no one innocent was punished.Sipra Parui, another resident of the area, said the locality was “shaken” by the atrocity. “The accused have never enjoyed a clean reputation here. They drop a former Trinamool councillor’s name to boss around. What took place on Sunday was way beyond our worst nightmares,” said Parui.But former Trinamool councillor Ghanshree Bag, whose name came up in connection with the allegations of political proximity, denied knowing the family or having any association with them. “I don’t know this family personally. My name is being dragged into this unnecessarily,” he said.
