sandeshkhali-woman-takes-u-turn-revokes-rape-complaint-against-tmc

West Bengal’s Sandeshkhali is continuing to be dominant in building the political narrative of the state as Lok Sabha polls are ongoing. At times, in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party and recently in favour of the ruling party of the state.

 

In the most striking development, one of the three women from Sandeshkhali, whose rape complaints against TMC leaders had stirred unrest in this rural block of Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district, made a U-turn. 

 

An elderly woman from Sandeshkhali on Wednesday claimed she was made to sign a blank sheet of paper in front of the team of the National Commission for Women in February at the behest of local BJP workers, albeit she had not been raped.

 

The woman’s claim apparently vindicated Trinamool’s claim the entire Sandeskhali episode was staged by the BJP to reap political dividends in the general elections.

 

The woman, reportedly, said that she learnt she had signed a rape complaint when police came to her house to probe the case and take her to court for recording her statement before a magistrate.

 

According to the woman, she joined the Sandeshkhali agitation in February as Sheikh Shahjahan and his men had not paid her for her services as a cook. 

 

Taking note of the situation, local BJP workers, including Piyali Das, influenced her. 

 

“They took me before the members of NCW and asked me to sign on a piece of white paper. I came home after signing on the blank sheet like they said,” the woman said, who urged the police to withdraw her complaint as she was never raped. 

 

On Tuesday, she lodged a police complaint against Piyali. Police started the case on Wednesday.

 

“Piyali had been threatening us with dire consequences as I decided to speak the truth,” she alleged.

 

Recently, Trinamool flagged a video that appears to show a local BJP leader admitting that women in Sandeshkhali were given Rs 2,000 each to file rape and sexual abuse complaints on BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari’s instructions.

 

The elderly woman told reporters: “It was embarrassing for me when I came to know that the BJP leaders put some names of my relatives as rape-accused. They are like my sons.”  

 

Hossain Mehedi Rehman, the Basirhat police chief, reportedly, confirmed the complaint against Piyali.

 

BJP leaders dismissed Wednesday’s episode. “The episode was another planned drama by Trinamool,” said BJP Rajya Sabha member Samik Bhattacharya.