West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Monday sought a report from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on the flogging of a couple in public in Uttar Dinajpur district's Chopra.
“The governor is shocked by the incident, which was caught in a video, and called it barbarous. He condemned the incident and has sought an immediate report from CM Banerjee,” an official told newswire PTI.
A West Bengal man allegedly beat a couple engaged in an illicit relationship with a bamboo stick in Uttar Dinajpur district following a decision of a local ‘salishi sabha’ (kangaroo court). The incident came to light after a video went viral on social media platforms.
Police registered a case against a local TMC leader of Chopra — Tajmul alias JCB — who reportedly performed the brutal assault on the couple. The accused was arrested, the official said on Sunday.
The viral video depicted the accused assaulting a woman who winced in pain while a crowd looked on. He was shown dragging her by the hair and kicking her. Additionally, the accused was seen beating a man with a stick.
“Efforts are being made from certain quarters to spread misinformation about an incident in Chopra PS under Islampur PD. The fact is, police have promptly identified and arrested one person who had publicly assaulted a lady," said the Islampur Police District officials.
The cops informed that the victim's couple had been provided with police security, and the probe had begun in this case. Earlier today, Islampur Police Superintendent Joby Thomas K watched the video and registered a case after verification.
The Opposition in West Bengal, including the BJP, Congress, and CPI(M), criticised the Mamata Banerjee government for the incident. BJP leader Amit Malviya said there is a Sandeshkhali in every state village.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Malviya wrote, “This is the ugly face of Mamata Banerjee’s rule in West Bengal. The guy in the video, who is beating up a woman mercilessly... is famous for giving quick justice through his ‘insaf’ sabha and is a close associate of Chopra MLA Hamidur Rahaman."
"There is a Sandeshkhali in every village of West Bengal and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is a curse for women. There is no semblance of law and order in Bengal. Will Mamata Banerjee act against this monster or defend him like she stood up for Sheikh Shahjahan?" the BJP leader said.
“How can a woman be beaten up in this way? Attack on any woman is barbaric and deplorable. Such incidents of violence are giving a bad name to West Bengal,” State Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury wrote on the microblogging site.
(With inputs from agencies)
