Three men have been arrested in Kolkata for assaulting a street vendor who was selling chicken patties near a large Bhagavad Gita recital at Brigade Ground on Sunday. The arrested men have been identified as Soumik Golder (23), Swarnendu Chakraborty (32) and Tarun Bhattacharya (51). Police said Soumik is the main accused. All three will be produced in court today.

The case has been filed under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including charges related to causing hurt, mischief, unlawful assembly, and intentionally hurting religious sentiments. The incident gained attention after a video of the vendor, Sheikh Riajul, circulated on social media. In the video, a group of people can be seen surrounding him and questioning why he was selling chicken patties so close to the Gita recital.

They first force him to do sit-ups with his hands on his ears. When he says his name, some men begin slapping him. Although Riajul keeps apologising and offers to leave, the group continues abusing and assaulting him. The video also shows them throwing away the patties he was carrying in a box.

This clip quickly went viral and sparked outrage online. Many users expressed anger that a poor vendor trying to earn a living was beaten. Some people, however, argued that selling chicken near a religious event had hurt the sentiments of those attending.

Speaking to NDTV, Riajul said he has been selling veg and chicken patties in Kolkata for more than 20 years. He said, “I was doing my usual work when eight to ten people came and asked what I was selling. When I told them, they threw everything on the ground and beat me. I lost patties worth ₹3,000.”

Political reactions soon followed

Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh said the vendor had no intention of hurting anyone’s beliefs. He questioned why people wearing leather shoes or taking selfies at the event were not seen as disrespectful, asking why only the vendor was targeted.

BJP leader and Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar responded that it was not confirmed whether BJP members or event organisers were involved. He said the incident may have happened because someone felt their religious sentiment was hurt. He also compared it to selling alcohol outside a mosque on a Friday, saying such actions would create anger too. The arrests have opened a wider discussion about religious sensitivity, public behaviour, and the everyday challenges faced by small vendors who depend on street sales for their livelihood.