Six hurt as sword-wielding cyclist attacks picnickers

DAKSHINESWAR: A 34-year-old man on a cycle attacked a group of picnickers at

Alambazar Colony

in Baranagar with a sword on Tuesday, injuring six. The man, identified as

Suraj Kumar Roy

(34), was later arrested from a neighbourhood 800 metres away from the spot.

Around 9.30pm on Tuesday, a group of picnickers in Alambazar Colony noticed Roy on a cycle, wielding a sword. He rushed towards them and before anyone of them could react, started slashing at everyone.

"I ran to a nearby fast food joint for cover. I could see others running to save their lives, while the man continued to yell 'Joy Maa' and swing his sword wildly," a schoolgirl said.

The attack left 42-year-old labour contractor

Baburam Shaw

severely injured. Roy hacked at Shaw around five times and almost severed his right hand.

Another victim of the attack, Asim Pal, said: "He was in a fit of rage as he yelled and chopped at whoever he could. I tried to escape, but he managed to cut my shoulder with the sword," he said. After slashing at the people for sometime, he hid behind a shop and waited for others to come out before continuing his spree.

According to people in

Ambedkar Colony

, from where he was arrested later in the night, Roy used to live in a shanty. "He had a rickshaw, but stopped plying it after he developed some mental disorder. His wife had left him a couple of years ago."

Barrackpore commissionerate Zone II DCP Dhrubajyoti De said, "After he was arrested, Suraj threatened to kill the police officers. The accused has no criminal past.After a preliminary medical check-up, doctors found him mentally unstable. We are trying to find out how did he got the sword," said De.