Amid widespread outrage in West Bengal over the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College, a video has surfaced on social media showing a group of men brutally assaulting a woman in Malda. The incident occurred in Kaliachak Block 2, in the Mothabari police station area.
In the video, the men are seen throwing the woman onto the road and beating her with sticks. Despite the crowd of villagers witnessing the incident, no one intervened to help. Even the woman's 16-year-old daughter was beaten while trying to save her mother.
Watch the video here:
According to the villagers, the assault stemmed from a long-standing land dispute between the woman’s family and their neighbours.
The victim lodged a complaint against six individuals at the Mothabari police station. The Police in a statement to the mdia said, "Both parties have filed written complaints regarding the incident. Two cases have been registered, and an investigation is underway."
Efforts to resolve the dispute through an arbitration meeting in the village had previously failed, leading to repeated altercations. On Monday, the woman's husband filed a formal complaint with the police. Upon learning of this, the neighbors confronted the husband the next day, brutally beating him in broad daylight.
When the woman intervened to protect her husband, the attackers turned on her, throwing her to the ground and beating her with sticks and bamboo. Her clothes were torn during the attack. Onlookers stood by and watched as the violence unfolded. When the woman’s daughter rushed to her aid, the attackers beat her as well. Eventually, the woman managed to escape.
The victim recounted the horrific ordeal: “They forcibly took over a large portion of our land. We have an ongoing legal case against them. Because of this, they often harass us with obscene language. On Monday, my husband filed a complaint with the police. After they found out, they beat him severely. When I tried to save him, they threw me onto the road and beat me with sticks. They also tore my clothes. My daughter was beaten too. I demand strict punishment for them.”
The incident has sparked political reactions. Leader of the Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, posted the video of the assault on social media. In his post, Adhikari wrote, "No, don't think this scene is from Afghanistan, Pakistan, or Bangladesh. This incident took place in Mothabari, Malda district, West Bengal."
@SuvenduWB
He added, "Regardless of the cause—whether it be family disputes, land issues, or neighborhood unrest—how can a woman in our state be beaten by a group of men in broad daylight? Where is the safety for women? Listening to the state's lawyer in the Supreme Court, one would think the government is doing everything to protect women. Is this the example they are setting?"
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