1. A woman in West Bengal died by suicide after alleged public flogging for an extramarital affair.
2. Outrage persists following the public flogging of a couple in Chopra, Uttar Dinajpur district.
3. Police reported both incidents amid growing concerns over moral policing and vigilante justice.
Uttar Dinajpur, July 03: Another tragic incident in West Bengal has resulted in the death of a woman by suicide, following allegations of being publicly flogged over an alleged extramarital affair.
This comes amidst continuing public outcry over the recent public flogging of a couple accused of having an illicit relationship in Chopra, Uttar Dinajpur district, as reported by police on Tuesday.
The latest incident occurred in Jalpaiguri district, where authorities have taken four individuals into custody, including two women, in connection with the case.
According to a report, the woman was alleged to have had an extramarital affair with a young man and had been missing from her home for ten days. During her absence, her husband filed a missing person complaint at the New Jalpaiguri police station.
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Upon her return on Monday, local women publicly berated and physically assaulted her, questioning her character. Her husband also faced assault when he attempted to intervene.
Overwhelmed by the humiliation, the woman consumed pesticides and tragically took her own life late Monday night, according to the complaint.
The woman’s husband reported that the village panchayat head and TMC leader Malati Roy, along with her husband Shankar Roy, summoned his wife to a meeting.
Allegedly, supporters of the Roys attacked both him and his wife upon their arrival. However, Malati and Shankar Roy have denied these accusations, stating they did not conduct any kind of informal court proceedings.
Shankar Roy clarified that the couple had intended to lodge a police complaint but opted to attend the panchayat meeting instead.
He mentioned that the woman had previously eloped with another man, which may have triggered their neighbors to assault her.
He asserted that they were not present during the altercation and only arrived when the meeting was already in progress. He added that the woman excused herself to use the restroom, and it was later discovered that she had ingested acid.
The public outcry over the ‘flogging’ incident in Chopra has intensified following a viral video showing Tajmul, also known as ‘JCB,’ purportedly a TMC leader from the area, assaulting a couple with a bamboo stick. The disturbing incident, captured on Friday, has sparked widespread outrage.
Tajmul was taken into custody on Sunday afternoon and now faces multiple charges, including attempted murder, assault intending to outrage the modesty of a woman, and causing grievous bodily harm.
West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose has raised concerns with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who also serves as the state’s Home Minister, regarding her failure to provide a requested report on the Chopra flogging incident by Monday.
Bose emphasized, “It is my constitutional responsibility, and it is also the responsibility of the CM, that if I request a report on any matter, it should be submitted on time.”
Explaining his absence from Chopra, Bose stated, “I was approached by the victims from Chopra to meet them privately at Raj Bhavan, and I honored their request.”
He further clarified that the victims could meet him at Raj Bhavan or any other place of their choosing.
These individuals had reached out to the Raj Bhavan’s ‘Peace Room’ to express their concerns and seek justice.
