Homemaker alleges assault and molest by CPM men - Attack at salishi meet after police raid club and arrest youths for gambling

TT, Malda, Oct. 16: A 58-year-old homemaker today alleged that a group of CPM supporters had molested her and assaulted her and her son at a salishi meet here last night, accusing the duo of informing police about purported gambling at a club.

The woman and her 38-year-old son have been admitted to Malda Medical College and Hospital.

Last month, sources said, Englishbazar police had received information that some youths were playing cards with money at a club in Malda town. On September 29 night, a day before Mahalaya, the police raided the club, seized some money and arrested five-seven persons for gambling.

The 38-year-old said he and his mother were accused of informing the police about the gambling by the CPM supporters.

"Most of the arrested men are CPM supporters. They were granted bail by a court the next day and started intimidating me and my family, alleging that we had informed police about the gambling at the club. We made it clear that we had not passed on such information to the police. They didn't, however, relent and called me and my mother to the club, where, they said, a salishi sabha would be held," said the unemployed youth who stays with his parents.

"When we reached the club last night for the meet, some youths pounced on us and started beating us with bamboo sticks and iron roads," he added.

He said the attackers had fled when the neighbours reached the club alerted by the screams of the mother-son duo.

The mother alleged that the attackers were the cohorts of Englishbazar CPM councillor Paritosh Chowdhury.

"The youths molested me at the club and assaulted me and my son. All of them are associates of a CPM councillor. There was no reason for them to call us to the meeting and assault us. We are Trinamul supporters and that is why they hatched a plot to attack us on some pretext. I or my son has not informed the police about the gambling den that was running at the local club," the woman said.

She has filed a complaint at Englishbazar police station and named 10 youths, all CPM supporters, accusing them of assault and molestation.

Chowdhury, the councillor, has denied the allegations.

"All I know is that there was an altercation during a meeting held at a local club. I was not present there and none of my associates was involved in the brawl. The meeting was over some minor issues. No salishi meet was convened at the club. I want police to probe the incident and find out the truth," the councillor said

Arnab Ghosh, the superintendent of police of Malda, said: "A woman and her son were assaulted by some youths in Malda yesterday. We have received a complaint and the Englishbazar police have been asked to investigate the case."