Controversy erupted over the recovery of a woman’s body at Contai in the State’s Purba Medinipur district with the family members alleging that the woman was gang-raped and murdered by supporters of a rival political party.
The husband of the woman, a supporter of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), alleged that the supporters of All India Trinamool Congress were behind the murder.
In the written complaint lodged with the Contai Police, the husband, a local committee member of the CPI (M) said that the supporters of the ruling party came to his house several times and demanded that his wife to pay a fine of Rs. 12 lakh.
The CPI(M) supporter said fearing political retaliation, he along with his son were staying away from the village.
“The body of a woman was found hanging by the ceiling in her house. We have sent the body for post-mortem,” District Superintendent of Police Sukesh Jain told The Hindu .
While the younger brother of the victim’s husband claimed that the victim had committed suicide after some men threatened her later in the day, her husband alleged that the victim had been raped and killed, he added.
The police also added that no external injuries were found on the victim’s body.
“At about 11 a.m. Trinamool goons entered the victim’s house and demanded Rs. 12 lakh from her to allow the return of her husband who had been forced to quit the village,” CPI(M) leader and Minister in the previous Left Front government Chakradhar Maikap said.
Mr. Maikap added that the ruling party supporters came to the victim’s house several times during the day and raped and killed the woman. They hung her to the ceiling of the house, he added.
The CPI (M) will bring out a rally on Tuesday in protest against the incident.
