West Bengal governor CV Ananda Bose scraps trip as flogging survivor ‘refuses’ to meet him

SILIGURI/CHOPRA: Bengal governor CV Ananda Bose on Tuesday flew to Siliguri from Delhi but was back in three hours, cancelling his planned trip to Chopra where a woman was publicly flogged after a kangaroo court deemed her "guilty" of extramarital relationship. Bose said the woman did not want to meet him.
Meanwhile, Chopra MLA Hamidul Rahman was served a show-cause notice by Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Tuesday for his comment on the woman's character, two days after a video of the public flogging went viral.He also received a phone call from Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee.
In Siliguri, Bose said: "The victim wants to be left alone and I will respect her wishes." He then left Siliguri. The governor landed at Bagdogra airport at 10.05am and flew back to Delhi at 1.10pm. Elaborate arrangements had been made at Chopra and a large police contingent deployed in preparation for Bose's visit.
The woman later told mediapersons she had not prevented the governor from meeting her. "The governor can come to my residence and meet (me)," she said. Asked about the state of her health, she said: "Police had taken me to a hospital for treatment. The doctors there prescribed me medicines and I am fine now."
The governor, when asked if the Chopra survivor was pressured into refusing an audience with him, said: "We would look into any possible malpractice that might have taken place."
A day after the survivor lodged a police complaint seeking action against those who had publicly shamed her by putting her video online, her male companion's mother filed a similar complaint. The man's mother said: "I don't know who assaulted my son and the woman he loves. But I want punishment for the person who circulated the video on social media. Our family has been defamed."
In Chopra, MLA Rahman said: "The CM called me and asked me to maintain peace in the locality. I've told her police have arrested the main accused (Tajemul Islam alias JCB) and there was no protest over his arrest. I had said JCB is not an officebearer of our party, merely a voter. His wrongdoing had to be punished and we have no role in this," Rahman said Tuesday.
Earlier in the day, North Dinajpur district TMC authorities issued a show-cause notice to Rahman for his comments on the assault. "The woman committed a crime too. She left her husband and children and was involved with another man. In cases like this, such justice is often meted out in our Muslim rashtra," he had said.
According to TMC sources, the letter was sent to the MLA by North Dinajpur TMC district chief Kanailal Agarwal. Rahman has been given seven days to respond. Rahman, when asked about the notice, said: "I have not received the letter yet. I will respond once I do."
(With inputs from agencies)