Another woman in West Bengal died by suicide after reportedly being flogged by a group of people over an alleged extramarital affair, amid ongoing outrage following.
The public flogging of a couple for a supposed illicit relationship in Chopra, Uttar Dinajpur district, news agency PTI reported citing police on Tuesday.
The latest incident took place in Jalpaiguri district, and police have arrested four people, including two women, in connection with the case.
What happened?
According to an Indian Express report, it was alleged that the woman had an extramarital affair with a young man and had been missing from her home for 10 days. During her absence, her husband filed a missing person complaint at the New Jalpaiguri police station.
When she returned on Monday, local women publicly abused and beat her, questioning her character. Her husband was also assaulted when he tried to intervene. Unable to bear the humiliation, the woman consumed pesticides and ended her life late Monday night, according to the complaint.
The woman’s husband reported that the panchayat head and TMC leader Malati Roy, along with her husband Shankar Roy, called his wife to a meeting. When they arrived, supporters of the Roys allegedly attacked both him and his wife. Malati and Shankar Roy denied these allegations, asserting they did not hold a kangaroo court.
Shankar Roy told the Indian Express that the couple had intended to file a police complaint but chose to go to the panchayat instead. He mentioned that the woman had previously eloped with another man, which might have prompted their neighbours to beat her. He claimed they were not present during the incident and only arrived when the meeting was underway, adding that the woman excused herself to go to the washroom, and they later discovered she had ingested acid.
Outrage over ‘flogging’ a couple in public
In a viral video, a man identified as Tajmul, also known as ‘JCB,’ a purported TMC leader from the Chopra area, was seen beating a couple with a bamboo stick. The incident, recorded on Friday, sparked widespread public outrage.
Tajmul was arrested on Sunday afternoon and now faces several charges, including attempted murder, assault with intent to outrage the modesty of a woman, and voluntarily causing grievous hurt.
West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose questioned chief minister Mamata Banerjee, also the state’s Home Minister, for failing to submit a report on the Chopra flogging incident he requested on Monday.
Bose said, “It is my constitutional responsibility, and it is also the responsibility of the CM that if I call for a report on any matter, it should be given on time.”
When questioned about why he did not visit Chopra, he said, “I was requested by the Chopra victims to meet them privately at Raj Bhavan. I granted their request.” He further added that the victims could meet him anywhere, whether at Raj Bhavan or elsewhere. The individuals who met him had contacted the Raj Bhavan’s ‘Peace Room,’ expressing their desire for justice.