A complaint of gang rape against two Trinamul Congress leaders in Sandeshkhali — Shib Prasad Hazra and Uttam Sardar — emerged on Friday.
Based on the statement of a woman who charged the two leaders with gang rape, a court in Basirhat allowed a prayer by the police to add sections of gang rape to an FIR that accused the duo of outrage of modesty, criminal intimidation, common intention and other sections, said sources in the state home department.
Till now, the police had been saying that they had not received any complaint of rape in Sandeshkhali.
The Trinamul leaders had been earlier accused of grabbing land and water bodies and denying workers their payments. But the popular outrage against the
local leaders picked up steam after many women complained of torture and harassment.
Villagers set fire to and destroyed a hatchery and farmhouse of Hazra. The state administration tried to douse the flames of protest by imposing curbs under Section 144 of the CrPC in Sandeshkhali.
State home department sources told this newspaper that a woman who had lodged a complaint against Hazra and Sardar on February 8 recorded her statement before a magistrate under Section 164 of the CrPC earlier this week. That statement referred to gang rape.
After receiving a copy of the statement, the police on Friday submitted a prayer before a court to add the charge of gang rape. The prayer was granted.
Hossain Mehedi Rehman, superintendent of Basirhat police, did not respond to text messages from Metro on Friday evening on the addition of the gang rape charge. Nor did he answer calls from this newspaper.
Sardar, a member of the North 24-Parganas zilla parishad, was arrested following his suspension from the party. No action has apparently been taken against Hazra.
This newspaper tried to contact Hazra but his cellphones were switched off on Friday. There was no response to text messages sent to him on Friday evening.
Hazra and Sardar are known to be close to local Trinamul strongman Shahjahan Sheikh, who the police said has been missing since January 5, the day villagers beat back an Enforcement Directorate team that went to raid his house at Sarberia village in the Sandeshkhali block.
The state government has set up an all-woman police team to speak to women of Sandeshkhali about their allegations of harassment and torture.