Bengal woman tied naked to tree, beaten

Days after a woman was brutally tortured by police in West Bengal, another woman Monday alleged that she was tied naked to a tree and beaten and branded in the state's South 24 Parganas district on allegations of stealing.

Police Monday arrested a man and his wife for the incident that occurred Sunday in Kultoli under Baruipur subdivision of the district.

While the opposition Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) has accused the involvement of Trinamool Congress, the state's ruling party has denied the charges.

"I was accused of stealing and a gang lead by Sanjib Maiti tied me naked to a tree and beat me with sticks. They also branded me with hot metal," said the victim who filed a police complaint.

"We have arrested Maiti and his wife for the incident," said Baruipur sub-divisional police officer Deepak Sarkar.

Former state minister and CPI-M leader Kanti Ganguly alleged the involvement of Trinamool activists.

"After tying her naked to a tree, they subjected her to indescribable atrocities. She was subjected to this brutality only just because she is a CPI-M supporter. The Trinamool goons have been attacking our people for long. We demand the arrests of all the perpetrators," said Ganguly Monday after visiting the victim.

However, Trinamool Kultoli block president Gopal Majhi has denied the allegations.

"The entire thing has been staged by the CPI-M and their leader (Ganguly) is trying to frame us and malign the Trinamool," he said.

The incident comes days after a woman in Birbhum district was tortured and nettle leaves rubbed into her private parts allegedly by a police team to extract information about her nephew - a local Bharatiya Janata Party leader wanted in a political clash case.

A National Commission for Women team, headed by chairperson Lalitha Kumaramangalam, Saturday recorded the Birbhum woman's statement and assured of taking action in the matter.