Kolkata's Posta Market goes on indefinite strike after trade leader slapped; shutdown ends after 4 arrests

The wholesale market, which is one of Asia's largest, had remained shut as a mark of protest after Posta Bazaar Merchants' Association general secretary Bishwanath Agarwal was allegedly slapped, abused and pelted with eggs by a group of around 50 people on Thursday ahead of an association meeting.

FIR filed, four arrested

Members of the association lodged a complaint with Jorabagan Police Station soon after the incident, following which a First Information Report (FIR) was registered.

The four arrested have been identified as Kumari Sonkar alias Guria, Chandan Chakraborty, Anand Kumar Mishra and Sunil Chaudhary.

Guria, the prime accused, was seen in a viral video allegedly slapping the elderly trader multiple times as chaos erupted at the venue.

The attackers allegedly accused Agarwal of maintaining political ties with the previous Trinamool Congress (TMC) administration.

For several years, the association has organised Jagaddhatri Puja, an event that used to be inaugurated by then Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

A senior police officer told The Telegraph, "We scanned available CCTV footage and identified some of the alleged attackers. One of them was arrested on Thursday night, and the remaining three were rounded up on Friday."

The officer added, "Traders have been assured that there will not be a repeat of such attacks."

Strike withdrawn, market to reopen

Following the arrests, the traders' association decided to withdraw its indefinite strike and urged members to reopen their shops from Saturday to ensure the uninterrupted supply of essential commodities.

Political row over incident

Earlier, TMC MP Mahua Moitra questioned the alleged delay in police action and claimed that the main accused, Guria, had links with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

In a post on X, Moitra wrote: "Has BJP's 'Gudiya' been arrested? Marwari businessman Biswanath Agarwala & member of Posta Merchants Association getting slapped by her after being hit by eggs on camera. Any FIR filed? Any action by @WBPolice?"

Trade body condemns attack

The Confederation of West Bengal Trade Association (CWBTA) had on Thursday condemned the assault, saying the incident had shocked the state's business community.

"Over 15 lakh traders across the state stand united with Agarwal and other members of the Posta Bazaar Merchants' Association," CWBTA president Sushil Poddar was quoted as saying by The Telegraph.