The death of a 27-year-old woman in Bengal’s Paschim Bardhaman district on Monday has led to a spat between the Trinamool and the BJP, with Sukunta Majumdar, a Lok Sabha MP for the latter, slamming Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for making Bengal a “living hell for women”.
Kunal Ghosh hit back for the Trinamool, accusing “some people of portraying the death in a distorted manner”. The Trinamool spokesperson acknowledged the seriousness the issue and said if allegations – that the woman was sexually harassed – were proven true the guilty “should be chained…” But he insisted, “this was a traffic problem. Nothing to do with law and order.”
The Trinamool leader was responding to a fierce attack by Dr Majumdar on X.
The attack – significant too because Bengal votes next year – also included a reference to the horrific rape-murder of a doctor in Kolkata’s RG Kar Hospital in August last year, an incident that prompted a furious row between the two parties, with the Trinamool accused of protecting the guilty.
‘Horrific Crimes Against Women’
In his post Monday evening, the BJP leader targeted Mamata Banerjee over “horrific crimes against women reported every day” and accused her of “remaining silent (and) shielding criminals instead of delivering justice”.
“Under Mamata Banerjee’s rule, women in Bengal are unsafe everywhere – be it hospitals or highways! A woman was harassed and chased by miscreants on a National Highway, leading to her tragic death. West Bengal has become a living hell for women,” Dr Majumdar raged.
Under @MamataOfficial‘s rule, women in Bengal are unsafe everywhere—be it hospitals or highways!
A woman was harassed & chased by miscreants on NH, leading to her tragic death.
West Bengal has become a living hell for women. Every day, horrific crimes against women are… pic.twitter.com/WKu8S17TwL
— Dr. Sukanta Majumdar (@DrSukantaBJP) February 24, 2025
“Every day, horrific crimes against women are reported… yet the government remains silent, shielding criminals instead of delivering justice! Mamata Banerjee came to power claiming to protect ‘Maa, Mati, Manush’ but, under her regime, women are raped, chased, murdered…”
Trinamool Hits Back
Hours later Mr Ghosh responded in a video statement on X, in which he first shot down speculation the 27-year-old woman was sexually harassed before her death. He accused unspecified persons (the reference was to the BJP) of having “planted” such a story.
“This is a serious matter. Earlier it was said the woman was fleeing after some remarks from some people… and that is how it led to her death. Such people should be thrashed. Police probe found this was an overtaking case. There is no eve-teasing angle in this,” he said.
পানাগড়ের ঘটনা প্রসঙ্গে। pic.twitter.com/0kigASAGWg
— Kunal Ghosh (@KunalGhoshAgain) February 24, 2025
“Some people are portraying her death in a distorted manner. If those accusations are true… then such people should be chained and paraded. But this was a traffic problem…”
“It had nothing to do with law-and-order,” Mr Ghosh insisted, repeating, “There is no eve-teasing angle… This theory was planted. Even victim’s side didn’t make such an accusation.”
He also urged people to be careful and follow traffic rules, pointing out, “There can’t be police every inch for every citizen on highways. We need to be responsible citizens.”
What Happened?
Late Monday local police confirmed the young woman, an event management professional, had died in a road accident; a preliminary inquiry suggested her car overturned near Panagarh (about 150km from Kolkata) while ‘racing’ with another on National Highway 19 to Bihar’s Gaya.
The woman was identified as Suchandra Chattopadhyay from Hooghly district.
There were claims the car Ms Chattopadhyay and her three colleagues were in flipped because they were trying to escape a second with five men in it who were sexually harassing her.
These claims emerged after police sources told news agency PTI that Ms Chattopadhyay’s car was being refuelled at a petrol station when the second car drove up and “the men (in that car) started making lewd remarks towards Suchandra and driving recklessly”.
That theory – which spread after one of Ms Chattopadhyay’s colleagues, Mintu Mondal, told reporters drunk men in the second car made lewd comments, forcing them to speed up and try to get away – was quickly dismissed.
Asansol-Durgapur Police Commissioner Sunil Kumar Choudhury told reporters. “This is a motivated campaign… We are going to check the motive behind this spreading of lies.”
READ | Bengal Woman Dies In Car “Escaping Harassers”, Cops Claim “Racing”
He also said CCTV footage from just before the crash showed Ms Chattopadhyay’s car was, in fact, chasing the other. According to him, Ms Chattopadhyay’s car refuelled and got back on NH19. Then, just before Panagarh, the second car entered the highway before her vehicle.
What transpired after that remains under investigation.
So far, no arrests have been made.
Family Protests
Ms Chattopadhyay’s family staged a protest at the Kanksa Police Station.
She claimed the men in the second vehicle had not yet been arrested, while her daughter’s colleagues, who were fortunate to escape with injuries, had been detained for hours.
“My daughter is dead, and the people in the white vehicle are still free,” she lamented.
The protesters, led by the mother, Tanushree Chatterjee, sought immediate action by the cops and dispersed only after the authorities assured them of a fair and thorough investigation.
With input from agencies
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