A woman died by suicide on Monday after she was allegedly beaten up by a group of people from her village panchayat in the Phulbari area of West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri district over her extramarital affair.
The incident reportedly took place on June 29, a day after the public flogging of a couple by a local Trinamool Congress functionary over a supposed illicit relationship in the Chopra block of the neighbouring Uttar Dinajpur district.
Four people, including two women, were arrested in connection with the incident, according to a report by news agency PTI.
In his complaint to the police, the deceased's husband said she was publicly heckled by a group of women in Dabgram-Fulbari area, accusing her of having an extramarital relationship.
It was alleged that the woman had an illicit relationship with a youth and had gone missing from her home 10 days ago, Indian Express reported.
At that time, her husband lodged a complaint of her disappearance at New Jalpaiguri police station. She was found last Saturday and she returned home after which she was summoned by the panchayat head and local TMC leader and was assaulted.
After the public flogging, the victim went missing for a week. Upon her return on Monday, the local women again verbally abused and beat her in public, casting aspersions on her character. When the husband attempted to intervene, he was also assaulted by the group.
Late on Monday night, unable to bear the humiliation, the woman ended her life by consuming pesticides, according to the complaint.
Deputy Commissioner (East) Dipak Sarkar said, “We have arrested four persons for their alleged involvement in the case."
This incident has added to the ongoing outrage over the recent public flogging of a couple in Uttar Dinajpur district.
Governor CV Ananda Bose has sought a report from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, while the BJP has accused the ruling TMC of unleashing Taliban rule in the state.