Fresh video of mob assault in West Bengal surfaces sparks row

Fresh video of brutal assault in West Bengal sparks political controversy, highlighting mob violence and kangaroo courts in the state.

Amid a spate of incidents of mob violence and kangaroo courts in West Bengal, a fresh video of assault of similar nature has surfaced on social media which has sparked a row in the political circles of the State.

In the video which is shared by several West Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party president Sukanta Majumdar on social media, Jayanta Singh, a Trinamool Congress worker, and his aides are seen holding a person by hands and legs and beating them up mercilessly at a local club in Kamarhati area in North 24 Parganas.

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“Absolutely appalled by the emerging video from Taltala Club, Kamarhati, showing Jayanta Singh, a close associate of Trinamool MLA Madan Mitra, brutally attacking a girl. This heinous act under a government that claims to champion women’s rights is a disgrace to humanity,” Mr. Majumdar said, posting a 10-second-long video.

According to an officer of Barrackpore Police Commissionerate, the video relates to an incident relating to March 2021, in a case involving theft of a motorbike. The police said that the person beaten up in the video may not be a woman. The official said that police are also trying to ascertain whether Jayant Singh was there in the video or not.

Earlier this month on July 4, the Barrackpore City Police arrested Jayant Singh, in connection with an incident involving mob violence at Ariadaha. He has been charged with attempted murder, extreme violence, and other non-bailable offences. The National Commission for Women also took cognisance of the video and said that the Commission strongly condemns this incident and urges a fair, time-bound investigation. “The victim should receive free medical treatment. The provisions must be invoked in the FIR, and all accused must be arrested promptly. A detailed action report has been requested by the Chairperson NCW from the DGP of the state within 3 days,” the NCW posted on X (formerly Twitter).

A team of National Human Rights Commission had visited Chopra, where a woman was flogged in public by a local Trinamool Congress strongman. The video of the incident, where a man was seen beating a woman in public in the presence of several people had sparked an outrage on social media. The accused Tajmul Islam alias JCB was arrested by police on the basis of a suo motu case registered at Chopra police station.