Another Kangaroo Court surfaces in Bengal, victim commits suicide

After the Chopra and Cooch Behar cases, reports of another Kangaroo Court surfaced in West Bengal on Tuesday where the victim -- a woman -- committed suicide.

The husband of the woman filed a police complaint and said that she was heckled in public by a group of local women who accused her of having an extra-marital relationship. The incident occurred in the Phulbari area of Jalpaiguri district.

It is learnt that the victim went absconding last week and a group of local women cast aspersions on her character alleging that she left home because of an extra-marital relationship with a local youth.

The victim’s husband in his complaint said that after she returned home on Monday, a group of local women first abused her and then severely beat her up in public.

As per the complaint, when the husband of the victim tried to intervene he was also beaten up by the group of women. Finally, she committed suicide on Monday night after consuming pesticides, claimed the woman's husband in his complaint.

A senior official of the Siliguri Police Commiserate has said that the investigation has started and four persons have already been taken into custody for interrogation.

The local Trinamool Congress leaders were tight-lipped about the incident. However, party insiders admitted on condition of anonymity that the incident was a matter of embarrassment, especially since it surfaced after a video went viral where a local Trinamool Congress leader was seen mercilessly beating up a woman in a Kangaroo Court at Chopra in North Dinajpur accusing her of extra-marital affair.

The accused in the case of Chopra has already been arrested and is currently in police custody. The opposition leaders launched scathing attacks against Trinamool Congress and the state government in the matter.

Governor C.V. Ananda Bose is visiting Chopra on Tuesday to meet the victim and the officials of the local administration.