A case was registered after a video clip of a brutal assault on a couple allegedly involved in an illicit relationship went viral, West Bengal Police said on Sunday (June 30). The man who was spotted in the video thrashing two with a bamboo stick was allegedly a local TMC leader of Chopra in Uttar Dinajpur district where the incident occurred following a decision of a 'salishi sabha' (Kangaroo court).
The authenticity of the video which triggered outrage could not be independently verified.
The police took note of the video and watched it on social media and registered a case after verification, Islampur Police Superintendent Joby Thomas K said.
"We have initiated raids to arrest the culprit and will investigate the reason behind the act promptly," he said.
The viral video clip shows a man beating up the woman who grimaced in pain. He also thrashed a man with the stick.
Opposition slams ruling TMC
The Opposition BJP and CPI(M) accused the TMC of being involved in the incident and termed it "bulldozer justice" under the rule of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
"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," BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya said in a post on X.
He claimed that 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?" Malviya said in the post.
Shahjahan is an arrested TMC functionary of Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district, where allegations of sexual abuse and land grab have been levelled against Trinamool Congress leaders.
TMC leader denies his involvement
Local TMC MLA Hamidur Rahman, however, denied he has any connection with the accused and distanced himself from the incident. He said it was a village matter and not related to the party.
TMC district president Kaniyalal Agarwal attributed the incident to the couple's alleged illicit relationship, which "did not go down well with the villagers".
He said that the party would investigate the episode.
TMC spokesperson Shantanu Sen condemned the incident but also pointed out that such kangaroo courts were common during the Left Front regime too.
(With PTI inputs)
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