An elderly woman from Sandeshkhali on Wednesday claimed she was made to sign on a blank sheet of paper in front of the team of the National Commission for Women in February at the behest of local BJP workers, which she later learnt was a rape complaint, although she had not been raped.

The woman’s claim apparently vindicated Trinamool’s claim the entire Sandeskhali episode was staged by the BJP to reap political dividends in the Lok Sabha polls.

The woman told reporters that she learnt she had signed a rape complaint when the police came to her house to probe “some five-six days later” and take her to court for recording her statement before a magistrate.

According to the woman, she joined the Sandeshkhali agitation in February as Sheikh Shahjahan and his men had not paid her for her services as a cook. Around the same time, a few local BJP workers, including one Piyali Das, spoke to her. “They took me before the members of NCW and asked me to sign on a piece of white paper. I came home after signing on the blank sheet like they said,” she told reporters.

“A few days later when the police came to my home, I came to know that it was a complaint of rape that did not happen to me. I was forced to appear before the magistrate to record my statement. I said I was not raped,” she added.

On Tuesday, she lodged a police complaint against Piyali. Police started the case on Wednesday.

“Piyali had been threatening us with dire consequences as I decided to speak the truth,” she alleged.

Recently, Trinamool flagged a video that appears to show a local BJP leader admitting that women in Sandeshkhali were given Rs 2,000 each to file rape and sexual abuse complaints on BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari’s instructions.

The elderly woman told reporters: “It was embarrassing for me when I came to know that the BJP leaders put some names of my relatives as rape-accused. They are like my sons. I urged the police and the magistrate to allow me to withdraw the complaint of a crime which never occurred.”

Sandeshkhali Trinamool leader Dilip Mullick told The Telegraph: “The conspiracy against our party is getting revealed.”

Hossain Mehedi Rehman, the Basirhat police chief, confirmed the complaint against Piyali.

BJP leaders dismissed Wednesday’s episode. “The episode was another planted drama by Trinamool,” said BJP Rajya Sabha member Samik Bhattacharya.