Kolkata: Kolkata Court Grants Bail to Soumik Golder and Two Others in ‘Veg Patty’ Assault Case during Panch Lakho Konthe Gita Path

Kolkata/ West Bengal: Kolkata historically witnessed a historic Panch Lakho Konthe Gita Path recital event on December 7, 2025. The police linked the arrested 3 individuals for attacking on two sellers of chicken patties. They were also linked to the harassment of these sellers at the Brigade Parade Ground. The event occurred on a Sunday, 7 December 2025, when the Gita was being recited. The police arrested them on Thursday, December 11, 2025.

The three individuals arrested were found to be:

Main Accused: Soumik Golder (23) was arrested from the Gobardanga area in North 24 Parganas district, West Bengal.
Another Accused: Tarun Bhattacharya (51) was arrested from the Uttarpara area in Hooghly district, West Bengal.
Another Accused: Swarnendu Chakraborty (32) was arrested from the Ashoknagar area in North 24 Parganas district, West Bengal

There were huge gathering and at the same time a Hindu devotee were also present there named Soumik Golder. During that time, he was having health issue, and went to doctor checkup at the medical department available there. They gave him medicine. They instructed him to eat something first, then consume the medicine, not on an empty stomach. He went outside to find something to eat. Then he saw two patties sellers. Sheikh Riyazul and Mohammad Salauddin were selling patties at the event. Soumik went there and asked whether it was a vegetable patties or non-vegetable patties. Soumik was fasting. He had a strong involvement in the Panch Lakho Konthe Gita Path event. Then, patties seller informed that all are vegetable patties no non-vegetable patties are there. All patties are pure vegetable. Soumik asked repeatedly the patties seller informed and assured the same thing all are pure vegetable patties. Then, he brought one for him and started eating. After this, while eating half of the patties, he found chicken piece into his mouth. Then, he opened that full patties and got chicken into it and it was not vegetable patties. 

After this complaint have been registered against Soumik. It is observed that Sayan Banerjee, a lawyer and CPI(M) leader logged one of the police complaints that brought the case to wider attention, but he was acting as a complainant, not necessarily the presenting lawyer in the court. As per the complaint, the accused verbally abused the vendors, punched and slapped them. Also, made them do sit-ups with their ears held, which was recorded on a video and quickly went viral on the social media. One of the sellers said that his stock of foods valued at 3000 rupees were lost in the chaos. 

Soumik Golder was identified to have been the key suspect. He insisted on the name of the vendor and made him cover his ears. The arrests were carried out following complaints by the vendors at the Maidan Police Station. This case involved the Maidan Police Station registering complaints. This registration meant the state legal system’s public prosecutors would handle the prosecution. This would occur once it went to court. The suspect was taken to the court along with two other people also arrested together with Soumik Golder. All three of them were accused of violating provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). This legislation replaced the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The particular charges and the legal codes involved are: 

• Voluntarily causing hurt
• Mischief
• Unlawful assembly
• Deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage religious feelings of any class (specifically Section 299 of the BNS)

The accusations were based on the complaints of vendors that they were verbally abused, made to do sit-ups holding their ears, hit as well as made to destroy their wares (chicken patties) due to the fact that they were selling non-vegetarian food at a religious event. The primary accused was found to be Soumik Golder, who is said to have inquired the vendor about his name and then began the physical harassment. There were produced in the Bankshall Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) court on the same day. As of now, the current situation is that all three accused persons have been released on bail. The court currently subsequently granted bail. 

Therefore, the vendors were lying and selling patties to their customers at the Panch Lakho Konthe Gita Path event. But still, no actions or penalties have been taken against the vendors for lying or for selling chicken patties. The legal focus has been on the assault of the vendors. It also centers on their harassment, not on what type of food they were selling. This is observed from the lens of a religious context vs law. It is already known that many Hindus do abstain from meat during specific religious events like the Gita recital.

Read More:

Record Attendance at Kolkata Bhagavad Gita Mass Recital Event 2025

Why Mamata Banerjee Not Attended: Panch Lakho Konthe Gita Path