A 15-year-old boy from Madan Mohan Dutta Lane in Kolkata who tried to shelter a stray dog that had run indoors in panic from Kali Puja firecrackers was apprehended by police and sent to a juvenile home after the incident escalated into a full-scale family dispute involving assault allegations, counter-FIRs, claims of molestation, a snatched phone, and stolen jewellery.
The boy, who is due to sit his Madhyamik exam next year and performs at musical soirees, is currently in a juvenile home. Cross-investigations into complaints from both sides are underway. More arrests are likely, police said.
What Started It
Between 7pm and 7.30pm on Sunday, as firecrackers went off during Kali Puja celebrations, a frightened stray dog ran into the house on Madan Mohan Dutta Lane where a puja was taking place. The teenager spotted the dog and tried to coax it out, feeding it biscuits. When more crackers fired, the dog ran further in.
A visiting relative from Dum Dum objected. What followed depends entirely on which account you read.
The Two Versions
The teen’s father said the visiting relative began abusing his son. His wife asked her to stop. The boy started recording the exchange on his phone. The relative then slapped his wife. The boy intervened to protect his mother. A fist fight broke out. Multiple relatives present gave the same account to police, the father said. Despite that, police apprehended the boy.
The complainant told a different story. She said the teenager provoked the dog while feeding it, making it aggressive toward her and her three-year-old child. When she asked him to take the dog outside, his mother abused her. At around 8.30pm, she alleged the boy physically assaulted her and tore her clothes.
She filed an initial complaint through a GD at Jorabagan Police Station. When she returned from the station, she alleged a group of relatives then restrained and attacked her, her husband, her mother, and her elder brother. She further claimed the assailants issued death threats with a knife, snatched her personal belongings, and smashed her phone.
The Counter-FIR
The boy’s mother filed a counter-FIR. She said her son was trying to protect frightened street dogs sheltering from fireworks, and that when visiting relatives began abusing him, she intervened. Her son recorded the harassment, the relative snatched his phone, and slapped him repeatedly.
The counter-complaint also alleged that male relatives of the complainant physically assaulted the boy’s mother, touched her inappropriately, and injured her foot, which had already undergone multiple surgeries. The family additionally accused the visiting relative of stealing gold jewellery, including earrings and a chain, during the confrontation.
Where Things Stand
Police acted on the primary FIR and apprehended the 15-year-old. He was sent to a juvenile home. The Jorabagan Police Station is now running parallel investigations into both complaints.
The boy’s father has maintained that his son’s only original act was feeding a scared dog two biscuits and trying to calm it down. What turned that into a juvenile home stay was the chain of events that followed, the conflicting allegations, and a police decision to detain the teenager first while both complaints are investigated.
More arrests from either side of the dispute remain possible.
November 10, 2026
