A drawing teacher, Nirupam Pal, was allegedly beaten up by around eight youths, including a girl, in Nandannagar, Belgharia, for protesting against their public consumption of alcohol on Saturday morning, police said.

The Belgharia Police have arrested one girl and detained two others. The incident took place in the Nandanagar area under Kamarhati Municipality’s Ward No 31, triggering tension in the neighbourhood. Pal is a resident of the area and has previously also protested against such anti social activities.

According to the complaint lodged by Pal at the Belgharia Police Station against the accused youths, he was returning home from a puja, when he saw a group of youths consuming alcohol on the roadside.

When Pal asked them to stop, they allegedly pushed him on the ground and attacked him. “I was returning home from an event. It was 6 am, when I saw a group drinking, when I protested they came up, started beating me. I have been badly hit in my eye, face and back of my head,” Pal said.

Later in the day, he was admitted at College of Medicine and Sagore Dutta Hospital, in Kolkata.

According to a senior police official, “The matter is being investigated, we have arrested the girl in the group, two others have been detained.”

Police said the assailants were residents under the Neemta Police jurisdiction. They are investigating the matter, using CCTV footage and statements to track down the other assailants.

Condemning the incident, local councilor and town committee president Biswajit Saha asked the police to take immediate action and also met the victim’s family. “It is a very sad incident, we do not support such anti-social activities,” Saha said.