The BJP's Basirhat candidate, Rekha Patra, moved Calcutta High Court on Wednesday, requesting she file a case seeking an order from the state to inform her of the total number of criminal cases pending against her.
Rekha, projected by the BJP as the "face" of the mass movement in Sandeshkhali, urged, in the same petition, for an order by the high court to restrain police from taking coercive steps against her in connection with those criminal cases.
Rekha's move comes after at least two women lodged complaints against her for allegedly scripting fake rape cases using their names as complainants and intimidating them when they withdrew the complaints.
At least two purported rape victims filed petitions to withdraw their complaints after a recent sting video went viral in which BJP local mandal committee president Gangadhar Koyal was seen claiming that complaints of rape by many Sandeshkhali women were scripted by the BJP and the party paid ₹2,000 each to at least 75 women to file fake rape complaints.
Mayukh Moitra, Rekha's counsel, said: "My client fears harassment by state police.... So she moved court."
Justice Jay Sengupta allowed Rekha to file the case, which high court sources said is likely to come up for hearing on Thursday.
Rekha's close aide Mampi Das (aka Piyali), a prominent BJP worker in Sandeshkhali, who was arrested on Tuesday on ACJM's Basirhat's order, also moved high court on Wednesday with an appeal to quash the "false and politically motivated" charges against her. Her petition is also likely to be heard on Thursday.
Rekha accused the state government of a conspiracy. "No complaint was fake. All will be cleared soon," she told the media.
Fresh tension has erupted at Bagdipara of Bermajur gram panchayat in Sandeshkhali over alleged police atrocities. Villagers alleged that police, backed by local Trinamul supporters, are raiding their homes at nights to find those accused in a recent assault on two Trinamool leaders, Dilip Mullick and Tatan Gayen.
Police have so far arrested five persons, including BJP women's wing leader Gita Bar. Many others are absconding.
To prevent police atrocities, many villagers are on night patrol with sticks and brooms at Bermajur.
"Civic volunteers like Mozaffar, a close aide of Sheikh Shahjahan (arrested former Trinamool strongman), go with cops to identify homes of BJP supporters at night," a woman said.
A Sandeshkhali woman, who complained of assault, alleged some Trinamool leaders offered her ₹10 lakh to withdraw it.
"They are threatening me and offering me cash to change my complaint," the woman said. "No women compromised their dignity for ₹2,000. It is a fake narrative spread by Trinamool," she said, adding that the BJP leader and lawyer, Priyanka Tibrewal, advised Sandeshkhali victims to lodge fresh complaints of atrocities directly to the CBI.
"Everything will be clear once the CBI conducts the probe," she added.
