The woman whose complaint against Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Shibu Prasad Hazra in Sandeshkhali, North 24-Parganas, led to his arrest, stated that several men dressed in “police clothes” had attacked her house on Saturday (17th February). The alleged attack came a day after charges of gangrape and attempt to murder were added to the case against Hazra after the woman’s deposition before the magistrate of Basirhat court.
Speaking about the attack, the complainant woman said that she was not at home when the men wearing police uniforms barged in. She said that the attackers were intoxicated, threatened her family and dug a hole in the roof of her house. Reports say that the attackers were angry with the woman for complaining of sexual assault.
“I sent my two daughters to my relative’s house. I was in hiding fearing attack for deposing in front of the magistrates accusing Shahjahan’s two henchmen Shibaprasad Hazra and Uttam Sardar. The youngest daughter was at home with my elderly father-in-law as my husband has also taken refuge in a relative’s house…They first dug a hole on the thatched wall by hitting non-stop and then inserted a stick through it to beat my daughter and her grandfather,” the woman said as reported by TNIE.
Speaking to The Hindu, the complainant said, “Last night, I was not at home. A group of miscreants came and attacked the house. They hurled abuses at me and my father-in-law. They wanted to kill me. Had I been at the house at night, they would have certainly killed me.”
The woman said that after filing the complaint, the police had not provided her with any protection. “After I complained to the authorities, I thought that they would spare me, but things are becoming more difficult every day. We deserve at least some dignity,” she said.
On Sunday, Shibu Prasad Hazra was produced before the Basirhat magistrate’s court where his bail plea was rejected. Hazra was remanded to police custody for eight days. This came after police stated that Hazra is influential and that his questioning was necessary to gather evidence.
The survivor narrated how Shibaprasad and Uttam, who had been apprehended by police during the recent unrest in Sandeshkhali, had sexually assaulted her five months prior in the local party office. “I was asked to go there at night to attend a meeting. I narrated my plights before the magistrate,” she said.
Reportedly, a police team arrived at the survivor’s house to record her statement regarding the alleged attack, however, the woman did not lodge a complaint. The police have also denied receiving any complaint regarding the incident.
The survivor said that even after the arrests of TMC leaders Uttam Sardar and Shibu Prasad Hazra she did not feel safe since their supporters are roaming freely.
As reported earlier, the survivor gave a statement before the magistrate under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, the police expanded the charges to include Sections 376D (gangrape) and 307 (attempt to murder). Following this, Shibu Prasad Hazra, who was “missing” after women of Sandeshkhali alleged systemic rape and sexual assault, was arrested on Saturday (17th February).
Addressing a press conference on Saturday, West Bengal Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar said sections of rape have been added to the First Information Report (FIR). According to him, a woman did not make any allegations when the police spoke to her but made a statement before a magistrate under section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).
Sandeshkhali horror
Tensions have been high in Sandeshkhali since January when local women staged protests demanding the arrest of Sheikh Shahjahan and his accomplices Uttam Sardar and Shibu Prasad Hazra. The Sandeshkhali women have accused them of forcibly acquiring land, pumping saltwater into fields to render them unusable, and engaging in institutional sexual harassment. The women have accused them of sexually assaulting women “night after night and release them only when they are satisfied”.
On 8th February this year, hundreds of women in Sandeshkhali took to the streets to protest against land grabbing, non-payment of wages and sexual violence committed by Sheikh Sahajahan and his two aides. While TMC leader Shibu Prasad Hazra was arrested on 17th February over land grabbing and sexual exploitation of women in Sandeshkhali the primary accused Sheikh Shahjahan, is still on the run from the law enforcement authorities.
The National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) on Friday (16h February) after its visit to Sandeshkhali in West Bengal submitted a report recommending the President’s rule in the state citing complete lawlessness. The report was submitted to President Droupadi Murmu. NCSC Chairperson Arun Halder also met with the President.
Halder said the President had assured the NCSC team that she would look into the matter and take action. The NCSC team was also allegedly misbehaved with by several police officials when it tried to enter Sandeskhali to meet with victims of sexual assault.
