NEW DELHI, July 1: The West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose on Monday demanded a report from the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on the alleged flogging in the public of a couple by a person claimed to be a local Trinamool Congress leader in Uttar Dinajpur district’s Chopra, officials said.
The governor is shocked by the incident, which was caught in a video, and called it “barbarous”, they said. “He condemned the incident and has sought an immediate report from CM Banerjee,” an official said.
The police on Sunday registered a case after the video of the incident that happened on Friday went viral on social media, sparking widespread outrage. The man seen in the video beating up the couple with a bamboo stick. He was identified as Tajmul alias ‘JCB’, claimed to be a local TMC leader. He was arrested.
The couple was allegedly engaged in an illicit relationship because of which they were flogged on the direction of a kangaroo court, according to police. The police took to social media and said efforts were being made from certain quarters to spread misinformation about the incident under the Chopra police station limits. “Police have arrested one person who had publicly assaulted a woman. Suo motu case filed. Victim has been provided police security. Investigation proceeds,” a tweet from Islampur police district said.
In the video, a man is seen beating the woman and a man with sticks as several people are witnessing the torture meted out on a street in full public view. “The guy in the video, who is beating up a woman mercilessly, is Tajmul [popular as JCB in the area]. He is famous for giving quick justice through his ‘insaf’ sabha and is a close associate of Chopra MLA Hamidur Rahaman,” the BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya said. Mr Malviya alleged that there was no semblance of law and order in Bengal.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) State Secretary Md Salim shared a video of the accused arrested in the case being brought to police station. “JCB is arrested or brought to the PS. As usual the sentry guard was about to offer salute! Usual offender turn(ed) regular visitor in Mamata’s land. #Chopra @CPIM_WESTBENGAL,” Mr Salim said.
The development comes close on the heels of another incident where a woman BJP leader from Cooch Behar has alleged that she was assaulted by supporters of the TMC. The BJP has claimed that the woman was stripped publicly. On Sunday, a team of the National Commission for Women visited Cooch Behar and met family members of the victim. The woman hails from a minority community and was an office-bearer of the BJP Minority Morcha.
(Manas Dasgupta)
