In a surprising twist to the flogging incident at Chopra in North Dinajpur district of West Bengal, the woman, who was seen being beaten up by a Trinamool bahubali, has lodged a police complaint against the people who recorded the act and released it on social media.
A senior police officer posted in the state police headquarters confirmed that the woman who was seen in the video being flogged with bamboo canes along with a man, had filed the complaint with the local police after being brought there on Monday. The couple was allegedly thrashed for having an illicit relationship.
“The woman claimed that she was not aware that the incident was being recorded on camera. She filed a written complaint to the police, seeking action against those who made the video without her permission when she was being thrashed and released it on social media where it went viral,” he said. Tajmul Haque, alias JCB, is known as a close associate of MLA Hamidur Rahman. Haque is already in police custody after the police recorded a suo motu case following the video going viral.
Meanwhile, Governor CV Ananda Bose cancelled his trip to Chopra on Tuesday at the last minute even after reaching Bagdogra Airport. Governor Bose was supposed to reach North Dinajpur District to interact with the victim of the kangaroo court.
Instead, Bose decided to go back to New Delhi from where he had arrived on Tuesday morning.
The Governor was supposed to reach Chopra by road following the press conference and accordingly a huge police contingent was deployed there to ensure his security.
However, at around 1.30 p.m. information surfaced that the Governor had decided to go back to New Delhi instead of going to Chopra and had spoken to the woman via phone.
Raj Bhavan insiders confirmed the development and said that Bose’s Chopra trip was cancelled because of Intelligence inputs of the likelihood of the Governor “facing protests by locals”.
During his interaction with media-persons at the Siliguri Circuit House, Bose said: “A virtual bloodbath is going on in West Bengal. I wonder whether there is any Police Minister in the State at all. Is it not the duty of the police to prevent such events? It seems that all the sinners have vacated hell and gone to West Bengal. People are being beaten up or even killed out of sheer adventure. This cannot continue. The State Government should take responsibility.”
Meanwhile, after the Chopra and Cooch Behar cases, reports of another kangaroo court surfaced in West Bengal where the victim — a woman — committed suicide after being thrashed.
The husband of the woman filed a police complaint and said that she was heckled in public by a group of local women who accused her of having an extra-marital relationship. The incident occurred in the Phulbari area of Jalpaiguri district.
It is learnt that the victim went absconding last week and a group of local women cast aspersions on her character alleging that she left home because of an extra-marital relationship with a local youth.
The victim’s husband in his complaint said that after she returned home on Monday, a group of local women first abused her and then severely beat her up in public.
As per the complaint, when the husband of the victim tried to intervene he was also beaten up by the group of women. Finally, she committed suicide on Monday night after consuming pesticide.
Meanwhile, the West Bengal Government directed the police to exercise maximum vigil and take strict action if people are found taking law into their own hands, according to a senior official.