West Bengal Police arrests 2 TMC workers accused of gangraping BJP worker's wife

After an FIR over the alleged brutal gang rape of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker's differently-abled wife was registered, the police arrested two All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers on Tuesday, August 10. As per a PTI report, the alleged crime took place on Saturday, August 7 in Bengal's Howrah district when five men barged into the victim's house, beat her up and raped her after tying up. TMC had reportedly shifted the blame on the victim's family and demanded punishment for the culprits.

Meanwhile, in West Bengal's Kolkata, the BJP Mahila Morcha on Tuesday staged a protest against the alleged ghastly incident of Howrah's Bagnan. The protest was led by Agnimitra Paul. 

It is pertinent to note that BJP IT Cell leader Amit Malviya on Monday, August 9 had taken to his Twitter and informed that the police of Bagnan was initially not registering a complaint against TMC workers. Posting a picture of the First information report (FIR), Malviya also claimed that TMC is using rape as 'a political tool to silence opponents'. 

NHRC findings on Bengal's post-poll violence

Earlier, in July National Commission for Minorities Vice-Chairman and National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) member, Atif Rasheed had alleged serious charges against Bengal police. According to the NHRC member, people in Bengal are scared to even report the incidents of violence to Police. Atif Rasheed claimed that Police are threatening the victims to not file complaints against the post-poll violence. 

Atif Rasheed's statements slamming the West Bengal Police were reported two days after he asked the victims of the post-poll violence to meet him with their written complaints. He had announced that he will be meeting the victims at the Malda New Circuit House. He also said he will be in West Bengal from July 6 to July 9 and will visit the affected areas in Malda and Murshidabad.

West Bengal post-poll violence

West Bengal witnessed massive political violence after the election result trends gave an indication of TMC's landslide victory. As of June 10, the West Bengal Legal Services Authority (WBLSA) had received nearly 3,243 complaints with regards to the violence including looting, threats, assault, sexual assaults, ransom demand, land-grabbing, and forced closure of businesses. Meanwhile, in the latest development,  the Supreme Court, on July 30 adjourned a hearing for 2 weeks on a plea seeking a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe to investigate the causes and reasons of alleged post-post violence in West Bengal.