“BJP made me file a false case”: Sandeshkhali woman withdraws charges
In a surprising turn of events in the Sandeshkhali sexual assault case, one of the victims claimed that individuals associated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) coerced her into signing a blank paper to help the party falsely accuse Trinamool Congress members of raping her. She later retracted her rape complaint.
Reported by NDTV and TOI, the woman filed a new complaint at the Sandeshkhali Police Station citing threats and social isolation after withdrawing the rape case against Trinamool workers.
The Trinamool Congress lodged a complaint after leaders admitted on camera that the rape allegations in Sandeshkhali were fabricated. Previously, the party organised a protest in Sandeshkhali’s Trimohini area, alleging a BJP plot against women in the region, following a sting operation revealing BJP involvement in orchestrating the incident.
On May 5, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee cautioned the BJP against disrespecting the women of Bengal, emphasizing the irretrievable loss of self-respect once compromised.
On May 4, a video from a sting operation surfaced, causing controversy in Sandeshkhali. In the video, purportedly, a BJP mandal president named Gangadhar Koyal is heard suggesting that Sandeshkhali women were falsely portrayed as rape victims at the direction of Suvendu Adhikari.
The individual in the video claimed that Adhikari facilitated the scheme, suggesting that he was told Trinamool strongmen in the area would not be apprehended unless they were falsely implicated in a rape case. However, the news channel that aired the alleged sting operation did not verify the clip’s authenticity.
Sheikh Shahjahan, a central figure in the Sandeshkhali case, is presently incarcerated in connection with an attack on an Enforcement Directorate (ED) team during a raid on his residence in January related to a ration scam.
