The Raiganj block development officer filed a police complaint on Thursday night, accusing local BJP MP Debasree Chaudhari and four other party leaders of assaulting him at the counting centre.
Based on his complaint, Raiganj police have registered a case against the accused and started a probe.
While the counting of votes in the panchayat polls was in progress at Raiganj Government Polytechnic on July 12, the MP arrived, along with North Dinajpur district BJP president Basudeb Sarkar.
They entered the room where BDO Subhajit Mondal was seated and accused him of rigging the counting at the behest of the Trinamul Congress.
Mondal raised objections and chairs and tables were tossed at him. The MP staged a demonstration in front of the BDO. Additional police forces reached the spot to control the situation. Mondal fell sick and was admitted to Raiganj Government Medical College and Hospital.
“The Raiganj MP and her associates violated the prohibitory orders. They influenced the central forces, which were on duty at the entrance and entered inside. They damaged election-related documents, government properties and assaulted the BDO,” said a source in the administration.
The BDO has made similar allegations in his complaint, said a police officer. Accordingly, charges under Sections 448 (punishment for house trespass), 341 (punishment for wrongful restraint), 353 (assault or criminal force to deter public servant from discharge of his duty), 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) and 34 (criminal act done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of IPC and section 3/4 of Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act have been brought against them.
The BJP denied the charges. Sarkar, the district president, said Mondal was exaggerating facts. “We had a heated exchange of words with him as he was rigging the counting. No one has assaulted or attacked him,” he said.
Debasree, who was in Calcutta on Friday, said she had no information about the case.
“I have not received any information from police. We had registered our protests against certain malpractices. If required, we will seek legal assistance,” the MP said over the phone.
Clash
Suspected Trinamul supporters ransacked the houses of a number of BJP supporters in some areas of South Dinajpur on Thursday, Swarup Choudhury, the district BJP president, said on Friday.
He visited areas like Maharajpur in Gangarampur, Karai-Chenchra in Tapan and Menapur of Kumarganj block and met the affected BJP supporters on Friday.
On Thursday night, a BJP office was ransacked at Maharajpur. In Karai-Chenchra, the poultry shop of BJP supporter Atul Barman was ransacked and torched allegedly by Trinamul supporters.
Trinamul denied the charges.
