Realty boom, turf war fuel Kasba violence

KOLKATA: Two of the most wanted criminals of Kasba — gang leader Munna Pandey and his aide Bidhan Sarkar — were arrested near the Bengal-Odisha border late on Sunday for allegedly shooting at 59-year-old Shila Roy, but local residents and police fear this might not be enough to stop the cycle of violence that this bustling southern neighbourhood has been seeing since 2014.
A syndicate rivalry, riding on the past decade’s realty boom, coupled with a turf war between two political parties, has made violence a near-daily affair here, said locals and police sources. “Kasba has been witnessing a realty boom over the past decade, with several big projects coming up along the Bypass-Rashbehari Avenue Connector and off the artery,” said a senior officer of the south suburban division. “The projects are not merely restricted to housing societies. There are many former and present sporting stars, members of the film fraternity and upper middle-class IT executives who share space here. Several schools and colleges, office spaces and restaurants make it one of the most-sought-after addresses of in Kolkatan today,” he added.
The problem is all the more acute because original land and plots are still available here. “The stakes are too high. bank loans are difficult to secure because it’s mostly leased deeds,” the officer said. “At a place like Kasba’s Bediadanga, the land cost is Rs 4,250 per square foot. But at Jogendra Garden, closer to the Bypass (where the shooting took place), the price shoots up to Rs 6,064 per square foot. The fight to dominate a club is nothing unusual — the ones in charge of local clubs often get to quote the construction material rates.”
“More than 50 groups operate under various syndicate heads. Each is active in an area marked by local leaders, whether it is Munna or his arch-rival Sona Pappu or Dinu and Prabhash,” said another officer.

Add to it the fact that most toughs of the area enjoy political patronage. The war between a local councillor and an MLA is now a topic of discussion. Main accused Munna Pandey — who had allegedly tried to shoot Shila’s 37-year-old businessman son Surajit and his brother last month — is known to be close to the MLA.