Sandeshkhali woman alleges rape attempt; FIR against 5

SANDESHKHALI: Sandeshkhali Police on Thursday lodged an FIR against five persons, including two Trinamool functionaries, after a woman turned up at the thana at 2.35am to complain that she was forcibly abducted at gunpoint and her assailants had attempted to rape her. The woman also testified in-camera before a Basirhat magistrate. Trinamool termed the complaint as "another drama".According to the woman, the wife of a civic volunteer, three persons with their faces covered and holding guns, dragged her away to a nearby bheri (fish farm) late on Wednesday. They tried to rape her after she refused to withdraw her complaint, she said. The woman claimed she was among the protesters in the Sandeshkhali movement.
"On hearing dogs barking at night, as I came out of my house, three masked men grabbed and gagged me and then dragged me to a nearby bheri at gunpoint. They repeatedly asked me to withdraw the complaint and go to court to confess that all complaints were false over atrocities of women in Sandeshkhali and grabbing of land by local TMC functionaries, including Sheikh Shahjahan and his associates. When I refused, they shoved me to the bank of the bheri, tore my clothes and tied my hands with the pieces and tried to rape me. I, somehow, managed to scream for help and local people, including my family members, rushed to the spot. The miscreants fled from the spot," the woman said in her complaint.
According to sources, the woman's statement was recorded at the police station. "She was taken to the Basirhat ACJM court on Thursday afternoon to record her confidential statement under Section 164 CrPC. An attempt to rape and abduction case has been initiated on basis of the complaint," a police officer said. The woman alleged that the entire operation was carried out by the three criminals after being instructed by local TMC functionaries, including Dilip Mallick and Saikat Das, to withdraw her complaint. Trinamool's Sandeshkhali MLA Sukumar Mahato, however rubbished the allegation, claiming it as yet another drama being played by BJP.
"Another incident was fabricated by BJP while they are desperately trying to grab control over Sandeshkhali before elections. If such an attack happened in the area, local people should have known about it. The truth will come out during police investigation," Mahato said.
Mallick is TMC's Sandeshkhali block-II committee functionary. On May 12, several women, all BJP supporters who were part of a protest led by BJP's Basirhat candidate Rekha Patra in front of Sandeshkhali PS, barged into his home and thrashed two TMC workers. Mallick and Mahato were also present when the incident took place.
BJP's state president Sukanta Majumdar said: "Trinamool-backed goons abducted the woman and even tried to rape her to make her confess in court that there was no crime committed in Sandeshkhali. TMC leaders are still trying to carry out attacks on innocent women in Sandeshkhali one after the other to unleash a reign of terror in the region."