West Bengal: Woman dies by suicide following ‘mob flogging’ amid Tajmul alias ‘JCB’ row

A woman’s husband claimed that TMC leader Malati Roy and her spouse called his wife to a meeting, during which their supporters allegedly assaulted the couple. Additionally, another woman in West Bengal committed suicide after reportedly being flogged by a group of individuals over a suspected extramarital affair. This incident has occurred amid ongoing public outcry following the flogging of a couple in Chopra, Uttar Dinajpur district, for a supposed illicit relationship.

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Incident Report on Woman’s Death in West Bengal

A report by the Indian Express alleges that a woman engaged in an extramarital affair with a young man and had been missing from her home for 10 days. During her absence, her husband filed a missing person complaint at the New Jalpaiguri police station. Upon her return on Monday, local women publicly abused and beat her, questioning her character. When her husband attempted to intervene, he was also assaulted. Unable to bear the humiliation, the woman consumed pesticides and ended her life late Monday night, as per the complaint.

The woman’s husband reported that TMC leader and panchayat head Malati Roy, along with her husband Shankar Roy, summoned his wife to a meeting. Upon their arrival, supporters of the Roys allegedly attacked both him and his wife. Malati and Shankar Roy denied these allegations, claiming they did not conduct a kangaroo court.

Shankar Roy told the Indian Express that the couple first planned to file a police complaint but chose to approach the panchayat instead. Mentioning that the woman had previously eloped with another man, he suggested that this might have incited their neighbors to beat her. Asserting that they were not present during the assault, he said they arrived only when the meeting was already in progress. He added that the woman excused herself to go to the washroom, and they later discovered that she had ingested acid.

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Arrest and Charges Following Viral Flogging Incident

A widely circulated video shows a man named Tajmul, also known as ‘JCB’ and allegedly a TMC leader from the Chopra area, beating a couple with a bamboo stick. The incident, recorded on Friday, has sparked widespread public outrage. Authorities arrested Tajmul on Sunday afternoon, charging him with several offenses, including attempted murder, assault with intent to outrage the modesty of a woman, and voluntarily causing grievous hurt. West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose questioned Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is also the state’s Home Minister, for not submitting a report on the Chopra flogging incident as he had requested on Monday.

Bose stated, “It is my constitutional duty, and it is also the responsibility of the CM to ensure that any report I request is provided promptly.” When asked why he did not visit Chopra, he explained, “The Chopra victims requested a private meeting with me at Raj Bhavan, and I honored their request.” He added that the victims could meet him anywhere, whether at Raj Bhavan or another location. Those who met him had reached out to the Raj Bhavan’s ‘Peace Room,’ seeking justice.

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