West Bengal: Woman tortured by cops threatens stir if perpetrators not arrested soon

Kolkata, Jan 28: With no arrest yet made for the alleged torturing of a woman by a police team in West Bengal, the victim Wednesday threatened to launch a stir if the perpetrators were not nabbed soon.

The woman has alleged that a police team accompanied by local Trinamool Congress leaders Jan 17 forcibly took her away to a jungle and tortured her to extract information about her nephew, a local BJP leader, wanted for clashes in Parui in Birbhum district.

In the police complaint filed by the victim's family, it has been claimed that her entire body was slashed with blades and nettle leaves rubbed against her body, including in her private parts.

"More than 10 days have passed but the police have not made a single arrest. The police and the CID are afraid of arresting the culprits because they belong to the ruling party. If they are not arrested within two days, I will demonstrate outside the police superintendent's office," said the victim.

Actress-turned-politician Roopa Ganguly, who recently joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said her party will endeavour to get the intervention of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the matter.

"We will not sit quiet. We can't allow the people who have tortured our people to go scot free. If the CID can't, the CBI definitely will," said Ganguly after meeting the victim at her house in Sattore village in Birbhum district.

Ganguly also slammed Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her government.

"What can we expect from the administration when a MP like Tapas Paul roams around freely after making such outrageous comments? We have a chief minister who calls every such incident as a petty matter, the criminals are bound to get emboldened. That is what is happening today in Bengal," added Ganguly.

The victim's family has already approached the Calcutta High Court, contending that the "act of inserting and rubbing nettle leaves in her private parts tantamount to rape". It too has been demanding a CBI probe, asserting the local police and Trinamool activists have been threatening them.

The National Commission for Women too has taken cognizance of the matter with its chairperson Lalitha Kumaramangalam meeting the victim and recording her statement.

IANS