Numerous women were allegedly gang-raped and harassed by a seemingly "state-sponsored" band of goons as they ran amok in May, murdering countless civilians and looting ordinary citizens' homes during a spate of celebratory post-poll violence in West Bengal, India.
Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers reportedly went on a violent rampage after winning the assembly elections by a huge margin on May 2 in Bengal; resorting to bombing, raping, kidnapping, looting, vandalizing, and murdering residents not allied with their party, even forcing them to leave their homes, as they celebrated their poll victory, reported Firstpost.
In one incident, on the night of May 4, TMC workers allegedly barged into a house in a village in Purba Medinipur after assembly poll results were declared and proceeded to gang-rape a 60-year-old woman in front of her 6-year-old grandson.
The group also robbed her of her valuables. The woman said that even though her medical report confirmed the heinous assault, no action was taken by local authorities against the accused, reported the Times of India.
In another case, a 17-year-old minor girl from the Scheduled Caste community alleged that she was dragged to a jungle and gang-raped, before being left there to die by TMC workers on May 9.
She said that a day after she was savagely attacked, a local TMC leader had come to their house to harass her family members and dissuade them from complaining to the cops.
The victim said that he threatened to burn their house and kill them if they lodged a complaint at the local police station. The girl's family decided to file with the Supreme Court seeking a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) probe into her assault.
Many women have reportedly approached the Supreme Court with claims that they were gang-raped by ruling party members as they seek court-monitored SITs into the violent attacks against them.
Reportedly, more than 10,000 people have been displaced due to the post-poll violence in West Bengal.
The police, who are on reportedly good terms with the "state-sponsored" goons, have proved to be mere spectators in the attacks, by discouraging and threatening victims from filing FIRs (first information report). Local authorities also allegedly don't investigate these TMC-related cases, taking no action even if the offenses were being committed in the presence of the police.
The Supreme Court has reportedly issued a notice to the West Bengal government seeking an investigation into the post-poll spate of violence and asked the local leadership to provide immediate relief to the internally displaced persons affected by setting up camps, as well as making provisions for food, medicines, and pandemic resources.
Monika Arora, a Supreme Court lawyer, said that people belonging to scheduled caste and scheduled tribes have been the most affected by the violence. She said that TMC workers congregated in groups and “resorted to stone pelting” these disadvantaged sectors while playing the party's “Khela Hobe” campaign anthem in the background.
Women have reportedly been stripped, beaten naked, and violated in the most horrific ways. Crude bombs were also allegedly used. Meanwhile, men have been murdered and shops and ration cards were looted, reported India Today.
It is said that the targeted victims reportedly belonged to a marginal section of Hindu society that are BJP supporters or Bharatiya Janata Party voters. In the last few weeks, several other pleas have also been reportedly filed before the Supreme Court, including a plea by family members of two deceased BJP workers who have sought similar orders for court-monitored SIT investigations.
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