2 women assaulted by TMC panchayat leader

TMC PANCHAYAT LEADER AMAL SARKAR WAS SUSPENDED BY THE PARTY AFTER A VIDEO, SHOWING THE WOMAN BEING TIED UP AND DRAGGED, EMERGED ON SUNDAY

nSILIGURI: Two women, who protested against building a village road on private land, were allegedly tied up, dragged and beaten up by a Trinamool Congress-led panchayat leader and his aides at Dakshin (South) Dinajpur district in north Bengal, police said

One of the victims, Smriti Kana Das, 29, lodged a complaint with the police on Sunday.

TMC panchayat leader Amal Sarkar was suspended by the party after a video, showing the woman being tied up and dragged, emerged on Sunday. The Bharatiya Janata Party, meanwhile, claimed that woman was a supporter of the saffron party.

“We have received a complaint and investigation is on,” said Purnendu Kumar Kundu, inspectorin-charge of Gangarampur police station. No arrests have been made.

Das, in her complaint, said that Sarkar and four others assaulted her with an iron rod when she protested against building a road on land that belongs to her family.

“They tried to hit me on my head with an iron road. I somehow managed to dodge the attack. When I fell down they tied my legs with a rope and dragged me... I was beaten up, my modesty was outraged and I was threatened,” Das said.

According to the complaint, when Smriti Kana Das was being assaulted, her sister Shoma Das protested and tried to save her. But the accused attacked Shoma also and snatched her gold chain and mobile. When she fell on the ground the accused allegedly tied her legs as well and dragged her down the road. She was kicked and punched too.

Condemning the incident, Sukanta Majumdar, BJP MP from Balurghat said: “It was a barbaric act. We can’t imagine that such incidents are taking place in a civilised society. The Panchayat a leader should be immediately arrested.”

Arpita Ghosh, president of TMC South Dinajpur district said: “The law will take its own course. We have immediately suspended Sarkar from the party...”.