Sandeshkhali woman revokes rape case against TMC men, alleges BJP coercion

The woman said that she was misled by a local BJP Mahila Morcha functionary and other party members, who initially sought her signature under the guise of enrolling her for PMAY

In a surprising turn of events, one of the three women from Sandeshkhali, whose allegations of rape against Trinamool Congress (TMC) functionaries had sparked tensions in the rural block of Bengal's North 24 Parganas district, reversed her stance on Wednesday, stating she had not experienced such an assault. She further claimed that local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members coerced her into signing a blank sheet of paper and approaching the police, reported The Times of India (ToI).

Seeking protection from threats and social exclusion following her decision to retract the alleged false accusation of rape, the woman lodged a fresh complaint at the Sandeshkhali police station.

She recounted how she was misled by a local BJP Mahila Morcha functionary and other party members, who initially sought her signature under the guise of enrolling her for Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY). Later, she found herself at the police station, unknowingly filing a complaint of sexual abuse.

Denying any occurrence of sexual assault within the Trinamool office, she said, "I was never coerced to visit the party office late at night."

Expressing distress over the social ostracism faced by her family since her decision to come forward with the truth, she stated, "We are feeling unsafe, and I have sought police help."

In response, the Mahila Morcha member accused by the complainant refuted the allegations, claiming that the woman, identified as the wife of a Trinamool booth president, was acting upon the instructions of party seniors.

"Nobody forced her to file a complaint. She and other women themselves narrated their plight to National Commission for Women chairperson Rekha Sharma. The truth will come out if CCTV footage from inside the police station is released. She and her husband have also been accused of siphoning money from Amphan and Bulbul cyclone relief funds," the Mahila Morcha member was quoted as saying by ToI.

This development unfolds in the wake of a purported sting operation that captured Gangadhar Koyal, a BJP mandal president in Sandeshkhali block II, refuting claims of rape or sexual harassment, suggesting that the women had filed complaints at the behest of Nandigram MLA Suvendu Adhikari.

Reacting to the situation, TMC minister Shashi Panja remarked, "After Saturday's video exposed BJP's conspiracy behind the Sandeshkhali incident, women are bravely trying to withdraw the false complaints. But the BJP-backed culprits are threatening to harm them. They are even trying to extort money."

Sexual violence allegations in Sandeshkhali

Multiple women in Sandeshkhali had raised allegations of systemic sexual exploitation and land grabbing against several TMC leaders. The women alleged that Sheikh Shahjahan, a member of the local Zila Parishad, is the prime culprit.

The women came out with the allegations against the TMC leaders after Sheikh Shahjahan went into hiding. A team of the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which was on its way to Shahjahan's house in Sandeshkhali, was attacked in January, and he has been absconding since then.

Two of his close aides, Shibaprasad Hazra and Uttam Sardar, who are also TMC leaders, were arrested after police filed a case based on complaints by women in the area.