Woman stripped & thrashed by neighbours

TT,  Alipurduar, Sept. 4: A homemaker in Jalpaiguri district has alleged that she was dragged out of her home by the hair, stripped, tied up and beaten with rods for several hours by some neighbours who suspected she was having an illicit affair with a villager.

The woman's husband, a fish seller, said he did not believe her wife had an affair with anyone. This morning when the woman was released from a Dhupguri hospital and refused to return home, the husband said, he convinced her to go back.

"I told her she had done nothing wrong, so she should not feel fear or shame," he said.

The couple have two school-going sons.

The 38-year-old woman lodged a complaint today at Dhupguri police station naming Tapan Roy, his wife Sandhya, Swapan Roy, Jaleswar Roy, Naren Roy and his wife, Arati Roy, and Sanjoy Roy in her complaint.

All the seven have been accused of torture, molestation, attempt to murder and snatching. All are on the run.

The woman said in her police complaint the seven came to her home on Friday evening and "accused me of having an illicit relation with Swapan Roy and treated me inhumanly. I was resting as I was unwell. These men and their wives, who stay a few houses away, came into my room. My husband was away and they caught me by my hair and started beating me up. They were armed with lathis, iron rods and heavy iron utensils. They then began dragging and pushing me out of my house and took me to their home."

She said she was tied to a post in the verandah of a house. "They stripped me and began beating me up. The men molested and tortured me. I was rescued by some local people and taken to the block health centre," the woman wrote.

Kanak Roy, the Trinamul panchayat pradhan of the area, said he had heard of the incident.

"I have heard that a housewife was tortured by neighbours. I went to the place where the incident took place and spoke to both sides. The woman has filed a complaint and it is now up to the police to investigate the case," Roy said.

The husband of the victim said: "The accused are close to the panchayat pradhan and I am apprehensive the police will not take proper action."

Amitava Maity, the Jalpaiguri police superintendent, said an investigation had been started based on the woman's complaint. "A woman has lodged a complaint accusing neighbours of torture and molestation. The police station concerned is investigating the case," he said.

Sources in the district police said the woman had been released from the block health centre after first-aid yesterday. "The police station has no medical records as yet and the victim would be taken to Jalpaiguri district hospital for a full medical check-up," a source said.