A woman contesting as an independent candidate, after being denied ticket from Trinamul, from ward III of Englishbazar municipality in Malda and her husband, a former party councillor, have been accused of demanding money from a eatery owner and also assaulting her after she denied paying them.

Sources said Kakali Choudhury was named as a Trinamul candidate from ward III in the first list of the party. However, in the second list, her name was removed and Manisha Saha replaced her. Kakali then filed her nomination as an independent candidate.

Paritosh, her husband, was elected as a CPM councillor back in 2015 but later, he defected to Trinamul.

According to sources, Kakali was campaigning near the Malda Medical College & Hospital (MMCH), along with her husband on Friday morning. While they were crossing an eatery run by Rima Choudhury, the couple suddenly got inside and started thrashing her. Eatery workers and some locals intervened and managed to dissuade the couple.

“For past few days, the couple had been trying to extort Rs 2 lakh from me to meet the election expenses. As I denied paying them, they threatened me with dire consequences,” alleged Rima.

“Today (Friday), during their campaign, they assaulted and abused,” added Rima, who is under treatment at the MMCH. She has filed a police complaint at Englishbazar station against the couple.

Later, Paritosh and Kakali turned up at the MMCH and alleged that Rima and her sons had attacked them.

“They had encroached upon a portion of the road and I had asked them to clear it. Today, they attacked us without any provocation. We have not asked for any money from her,” claimed Paritosh.

District Trinamul leaders, when contacted, distanced themselves from the incident.