Two more incidents of mob violence come to the fore in West Bengal

Mob violence and kangaroo courts spark controversy in West Bengal, with Trinamool Congress worker accused of brutal assaults.

Following kangaroo court and mob violence allegations at Chopra and Fulbari, two more incidents of mob violence arising out of kangaroo courts have come to the fore in West Bengal’s Malda and South 24 Parganas districts.

Trinamool Congress worker from the Sonarpur area of South 24 Parganas, Jamaluddin Sardar, has been accused by locals of tying women down with metal chains around their ankles and brutally assaulting them in kangaroo courts over family disputes. The news came to the fore after a complaint was lodged at the local police station by a woman on July 12, who alleged that she was chained and tortured by Mr. Sardar in a kangaroo court at his house on July 9.

Also read: Chopra flogging: Victims and survivors, silenced

Another local woman accused Mr. Sardar of hanging her husband upside down from the ceiling of his house with metal chains and brutally assaulting him through the night, while many others also levelled allegations of forced land grab.

Videos of Mr. Sardar’s palatial house, replete with multiple CCTV cameras, an annexe building and a swimming pool, have also stirred controversy.

Bharatiya Janata Party leaders including MLA Agnimitra Paul visited the spot and took stock of the accusations being levelled by locals against the Trinamool worker.

“The complainant and her son visited my house to resolve a family dispute,” Mr. Sardar told a local television channel, denying all allegations. “These are all false allegations. How can I torture them if they themselves came to my house?” He added that the metal chains in his house are used for herding cattle.