Woman teacher in Bengal beaten, dragged by TMC leader
KOLKATA: In a shocking incident, a high school teacher from West Bengal was tied at her knees with rope and dragged on the road by a group of men led by a ruling TMC panchayat leader. Both women were rushed to hospital. The older sister Soma Das who had objected to the attack on her sister was released after first aid.
The alleged incident took place on January 31 at Gangarampur in South .They had protested their land being grabbed by the Trinamool-run panchayat for constructing a road.Dinajpur district.
A video of the incident, which is being shared widely on social media, shows Smriti Kana Das being beaten up and dragged on the ground mercilessly by gram panchayat deputy pradhan Amal Sarkar for protesting against the construction of a road that had encroached upon her land. A man ties a rope around her legs and a few people then drag her by her arms over the road.
When her sister Soma Das objects to the assault, she, too, was thrown to the ground and thrashed.“When I raised my voice, TMC workers, including Sarkar, beat me up. They tied my legs with a rope and dragged me for several metres. I have lodged a complaint with the police”.
Both the women, who are in their late twenties, were rushed to a nearby hospital. Soma Das was released after first aid and Smriti Kona Das was released after treatment on Saturday.
Soon after the video emerged, Trinamool Congress suspended Amal Sarkar. The party sources said an is being inquiry conducted and Sarkar will remain suspended until the inquiry is completed.
According to the two women, both in their late 20s, they were initially told that the road being built in front of their house would be 12-feet wide. They agreed to give up land for that. But when the panchayat allegedly decided to widen the road to 24 feet – which would mean the loss of much more land – the women objected.
(Bureau Report with Agency Inputs).