A month after the ruling TMC retained Bengal with a landslide victory, more and more horror stories of violence are emerging from the state. From assault to rape to police apathy, women in Bengal have spoken up in the Supreme Court.
Women in West Bengal have moved the Supreme Court narrating the details of the horrifying gang-rapes they were subjected to in the post-poll violence by the members of ruling party. They have sought SIT probe into all the incidents as well as alleged inaction of the police.
As reported by Times of India, the women have sought court-monitored SIT probe into incidents of gang-rapes and murders that continued for over a fortnight in West Bengal after the ruling party TMC had a landslide victory.
Grandma gang-raped in front of grandson
Narrating her ordeal, a 60-year-old woman talked about how she was brutally raped in front of her six-year-old grandson. She said that after the results were declared, TMC workers forcefully entered into her house and raped her. The incident happened on the intervening night of May 4 and 5, just two days after the election results were declared. The TMC workers also allegedly robbed her of the valuables.
She further added that despite the victory of the BJP in Khejuri constituency, a mob of about 100-200 TMC workers gathered and threatened to bomb her house. Next day, her daughter in law fled the house fearing for her life. A day later, some TMC workers barged into her house and gangraped her, she said in her application to the SC.
Her neighbours found her unconscious the next day and took her to a hospital. When her son in law approached the police for an FIR, the police refused to do so. She said that the ruling party workers used rape as a weapon of revenge to humiliate and silence political rivals.
She said that never has such a crime been committed on a woman because her family participated in a democratic process. “Not merely the said crimes were facilitated by the inaction of the state authorities/police, but what was shocking is post crime humiliation that the rape survivors were subjected to, for their perceived audacity in reporting the crime,” she said.
She said that even though the name of all five culprits who perpetrated the heinous crime were given by her and when the rape was also confirmed by a medical report, the police deliberately chose to name only one in the FIR. She has sought court-monitored SIT probe.
Minor Dalit girl gang-raped by TMC workers
On May 9, a 17-year-old minor girl from the Scheduled Caste community was gang-raped by TMC workers and left to die in a jungle. Next day, a TMC leader Bahadur SK went to her house and threatened her family members against not lodging a complaint. He threatened he will burn their house and kill them if they do.
In her application to the SC she has sought an SIT/CBI probe and requested to shift the trial outside the state. She further added that the police, instead of sympathising with her it is pressuring them to withdraw the cases by saying that if they don’t do so, their other daughter may face similar consequences.
Woman dodges rape attempt even as her husband killed in front of her
Purnima Mondal, in her application, states that on May 14, her husband Dharama Mondal, who had campaigned for the BJP, was identified and assaulted with axes. Purnima was made to witness the assault on her husband and brother in law even as she was disrobed, grabbed and faced a rape attempt. She said that the mob was led by local elected representative, Kalu Shaikh. Her husband passed away on May 16.
She has alleged that the police pressurised her to file a weak complaint and suppressed the role of elected representative who led the mob. He not only led the mob but also gave orders to the members of the mob to attack and kill her husband.
