Thirty eight-year-old Tapas Ghosh cannot use his right hand. The handicapped card issued to him by the state government confirms 70 per cent disability. A resident of Sulaty village in Howrah, he had enrolled himself with the employment exchange in 1989, but his name has never been recommended by the exchange. His ordeal began when he started doing rounds of the office. “The employees of the exchange always misbehaved with me,” said Tapas.

On May 26, his brother Probir accompanied him to the exchange. The staff could not locate his card even after making them wait for four hours. Probir then approached the exchange officer, A K Roy.

“The officer and the staff abused us. One of them broke my spectacles,” said Probir Ghosh.

After the incident, both of them went to the Howrah police station to file a complaint. “We were mocked at by the policemen. One of them called up Roy and told him that we were at the police station,” said Probir. After more than two hours, they were asked to not file a complaint. The two brothers returned home devastated.

Worse, a registered letter from the exchange officer was delivered to Tapas on June 4. “The exchange officer alleged that my brother had vandalised the office and beat up the employees. The letter said that a complaint has been registered with the SP, labour department and local police,” Tapas said. They should come to the exchange to settle the issue or face the consequences, stated the letter.