The Sandeshkhali land grab and sexual harassment case involving allegations against Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Shahjahan Sheikh has taken a new twist with the withdrawal of complaints by two women.
Purported videos have emerged, alleging that women were forced to sign blank papers by a local BJP leader, which were later filled in with rape allegations against leaders. In one of the videos, a woman claims they were deceived into signing on blank papers and later discovered that rape complaints had been lodged in their names.
A video that sparked controversy surfaced on Saturday, broadcast by a local television channel. The purported footage shows an individual identified as a BJP Mandal (booth) president reportedly suggesting that women from Sandeshkhali who did not experience sexual assault were labeled as ‘rape’ victims under the direction of the Leader of the Opposition.
The TMC camp has responded with allegations. TMC Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghosh met with the Election Commission of India to file a complaint against the BJP. Ghosh told reporters that the Sandeshkhali incident was a conspiracy orchestrated by the BJP to fabricate false rape statements.
‘There were no rapes in Sandeshkhali, it is all a lie,’ Ghosh said, adding that the women are now saying they were paid and taught to make these false claims. Ghosh urged the Election Commission to intervene and order police action against BJP leaders Suvendu Adhikari, Gangadhar Koyal, and Shanti Dolui.
In separate videos, additional alleged residents made similar claims, accusing BJP leader Piyali Das of orchestrating the scheme. One woman stated that Piyali Das had ‘tarnished our reputation and inflicted immense suffering upon us.’
The controversy unfolds as the riverine area of Sandeshkhali gained attention following protests by women who accused local TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh and his associates of sexual assault and land grabbing. Shahjahan, the central figure in the Sandeshkhali controversy, is currently incarcerated for his involvement in an incident where a team from the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) was assaulted during a raid on his residence as part of an investigation into an alleged ration scam.
