A 35-year-old woman was pulled by her hair and shoved allegedly by a sub–inspector of police in Cooch Behar on Monday to put her in a police vehicle and prevent her from demonstrating in public.

The SI, who was posted at Tufanganj police station, has been removed from his duty.

Sources said the homemaker from a village in Natabari 2 panchayat of the district, was assaulted by Jahangir Ali, a local Trinamool leader, during a “salishi sabha” held at her village on a family issue.

She was injured and was under treatment. “After I recovered, I went to Tufanganj police station twice to file a complaint against Jahangir Ali who had beaten me. The police, however, didn’t receive my complaint as he is a TMC leader,” she said.

On Monday afternoon, she reached the Natabari 2 panchayat office and sought the chief's intervention. “The panchayat chief, too, didn’t listen to me,” she added.

In protest, the woman walked to the Chilahana-Natabari Road that is nearby and lay on it. As some locals gathered, she told them she would not leave the place unless she “gets justice”.

After some time, a police team reached the spot. The police assured her that the matter would be taken care of but she refused to leave.

This made the police forcibly drag her into their vehicle. At that time, the SI pulled her by her hair and pushed her into the vehicle. From there, she was dropped at her home.

We have closed the SI at the district police lines. A departmental inquiry has been initiated against him,” said Dyutiman Bhattacharya, SP, Cooch Behar.

Subhasish Choudhury, a district secretary of the party, said it is a glaring example of police torture of women.

“We want exemplary punishment of the police officer and all others who were involved in the incident. Also, the Trinamool leader who had assaulted the woman should be arrested,” he said.

Ali, the accused leader, could not be contacted. Subhasini Roy, head of the Trinamul-run Natabari-II panchayat, however, termed it as a family issue." “The woman and Jahangir Ali are relatives. All we know is that they had a dispute over some family issues,” she said.

BSF firing

A 47-year-old died in a BSF firing near the India-Bangladesh border in Jalpaiguri district on Monday night when he allegedly tried to smuggle cattle into Bangladesh, along with some others.

Four BSF jawans were injured when the alleged smugglers attacked them.

Sources said the deceased, Kajirul Haque, was a resident of Bhangamali in Rajganj block of Jalpaiguri.