Two Sandeshkhali women withdraw rape complaint

A woman and her mother-in-law in West Bengal's Sandeshkhali withdrew their rape complaint against Trinamool Congress leaders, alleging that they were made to sign "white paper" at the behest of the National Commission for Women. The development has intensified the political blame game between the ruling Trinamool and the BJP, which has been playing up the Sandeshkhali issue in the election season.

Addressing the media, the woman narrated how she and her mother-in-law were forced to file fake rape complaints without even knowing the contents of the complaint at the behest of "Delhi's Mahila Commission".

The women lodged a fresh complaint with the police, citing threats and ostracism because of her decision to withdraw the complaint against the TMC leaders. The woman and her mother-in-law recorded their statement before the magistrate. "We don't want to be associated with any false complaints... nobody is even talking to us in our neighbourhood. When I asked them to rescind the false complaint, I was chased away," she said.

The woman claimed that one day two women - Piyali Das and Mampi Das- came to their home and took her mother-in-law to the police station. "After she went to the police station, the gate was locked from inside. My mother-in-law only said that she had yet to get her dues for cooking as part of the 100 days' job scheme. She was then made to sign a white paper. We did not know about the cases," the woman said.

The woman said she later came to know that she and her mother-in-law were on the list of women who alleged rape by local Trinamool leaders. "Nothing such happened to us. It was scripted, false allegations. We don't want to be associated with any false complaints," she further said.

This development comes at a time when the BJP has raked up the Sandeshkhali issue amid the Lok Sabha polls to target the ruling Mamata Banerjee-led government in Bengal.

The Trinamool Congress has now registered a complaint with the Election Commission against several BJP leaders, including Suvendu Adhikari, Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, accusing them of levelling fabricated allegations in the Sandeshkhali matter.