Calcutta, Aug. 26: Manish Khatua, the attack on whom prompted Tata Motors to drop the first hint in public that the company’s patience was wearing thin, has rejoined work at Singur but is not taking any chances with the siege.

The engineer, who was beaten with steel rods in Singur on July 29, returned to work two weeks after being released from hospital.

“I did not take long leave as planned because I was feeling strong enough and wanted to return to work at the earliest. But then this incident comes up. I did not feel safe in Singur, given my past incident. Therefore, I went home to Haldia. I hope to return by the end of this week when I expect things to turn normal. I want to get back to work,” Khatua, who works for Shapoorji Pallonji & Co, told The Telegraph.

“On my return, I saw a marked improvement in security arrangements,” Khatua added. “There are announcements on the loudspeaker near the station urging outsiders to leave Singur. One does not feel comfortable and at home in such an environment,” he said. Khatua is planning to look for accommodation elsewhere.

Some engineers who were staying with their families on rented premises in Singur have moved to Dum Dum or to Calcutta.

Following the assault on Khatua, in response to a question on how long things would continue like this in Singur, Tata Motors chief Ravi Kant had said: “As long as our patience lasts.”