Ripon Mondal, a die-hard Mohun Bagan fan, hasn’t missed a single home game this season despite staying in Bongaon, over three hours away from Kolkata. For someone who treats Mohun Bagan as more than just a club, it’s a part of his identity. This season, Jamshedpur in the ISL semi-final first leg was his fifth away game. But never in his wildest dreams did he imagine going through what he experienced that night.
All Ripon wanted was to protect the Mohun Bagan flag from being torn apart by Jamshedpur fans. But in doing so, he became the victim of a brutal incident—suffering a deep injury to the back of his head, as blood started oozing out immediately from the wound.
“Jamshedpur fans were abusing us from the beginning of the game,” said Ripon, speaking on the RevSportz Bangla live show. “After they scored the first goal, they almost tore apart one group’s Mohun Bagan flag and then tried to tear another. All I wanted to do was protect the flag of the club—which means more to me than just football.
“But as tensions escalated between the two fan groups, the security in charge of the stand lost their cool and resorted to a lathi charge. During the lathi charge on Mohun Bagan fans, I was the one who got hit the worst. A police baton struck me hard on the back of my head, and blood started flowing instantly from the injured area.”
He was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital and, after prompt treatment, was declared out of danger. But in that chaos, Ripon missed the very match he had travelled all the way from Bongaon to Jamshedpur to watch.
“Being an away fan, all we ask for is basic safety from the local authorities so that we can enjoy the match, Ripon said, voice laced with emotion. “But it’s heartbreaking to see the way the police handled the situation. After this, many fans will think twice before travelling to Jamshedpur to support Mohun Bagan. The doctor later told me that if the baton had struck even slightly higher, the injury could have been far more serious.”
Ripon has travelled across the country to watch his beloved Mariners—from Kerala to Guwahati to Odisha—but said he’s never had to face this kind of treatment from home fans or local security.
Despite the trauma, he still had words of encouragement for his team.
A day after the incident, Mohun Bagan forward Manvir Singh personally reached out on social media to check on Ripon’s condition. To that, Ripon replied, “I’m feeling better now and out of danger. But the best gift you can give me is a win against Jamshedpur in the second leg. That would be the perfect revenge for what happened.”
Manvir responded with warmth and reassurance: “Don’t worry, brother. You take care of your health. We’ll give our everything in the second leg.”
Ripon’s parents have always been concerned about his deep involvement with football and weren’t too happy with his habit of travelling such long distances. “After the incident, my parents broke down in tears the moment I reached home,” Ripon recalled. “But my brother has always stood by me. He placed his hand on my shoulder and told me to get well soon so I can go watch the second leg at VYBK.”
Mohun Bagan lost the first leg of the semi-final 2–1 to Jamshedpur. But the second leg will be at home, in front of a packed Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan—a golden opportunity for the Mariners to make a comeback.
“On the 7th, no matter what, I will be at VYBK,” said Ripon. “A win for Mohun Bagan will be the best medicine for my wounds.”
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