Actor-turned-Trinamool MLA Soham Chakraborty assaults restaurant owner in Kolkata after tiff over parking

Trinamool Congress MLA and actor Soham Chakraborty allegedly assaulted a restaurant owner in Kolkata over an altercation.

Trinamool Congress MLA and actor Soham Chakraborty allegedly assaulted a restaurant owner in Kolkata over an altercation on Friday night.

The tiff, which was captured on CCTV cameras, reportedly escalated over an issue surrounding the parking of the actor’s vehicle and film crew outside the restaurant at New Town in the city. When the restaurant owner, Anisul Alam, had asked the Chandipur MLA to park his car elsewhere as it was inconveniencing other customers, a verbal duel broke out between the two, following which Mr. Chakraborty assaulted Mr. Alam.

However, Mr. Chakraborty has alleged that he attacked the restaurant owner after the latter “abused” Trinamool leader Abhishek Banerjee. “I was attacked first. I could not keep my head straight after Abhishek Banerjee’s name came up,” he said. A complaint was filed by the MLA at Techno City police station and the Mr. Chakraborty said “the police will look into the matter”.

According to Mr. Alam, the ruling party legislator and his film crew had come to the restaurant to shoot without any prior agreement. “We let them shoot in the restaurant. Then a verbal altercation unfolded between Mr. Chakraborty’s security personnel and the restaurant staff over parking, and he punched me and tore my clothes,” Mr. Alam said.

Addressing the allegations, the restaurant owner denied the allegations that he spoke ill of Mr. Banerjee to the Chandipur MLA. “The cops had come and taken me to the police station,” Mr. Alam said, adding that he was released shortly after.

Mr. Chakraborty on Saturday said he was “apologetic”, adding that as a public representative, he “should not have behaved like that”.