A CRPF constable points an accusing finger at the Nandigram OC on polling day

Tamluk, June 2: The state may have dismissed the complaint against Nandigram police station officer-in-charge Debashish Chakraborty for allegedly assaulting a CRPF constable, but the paramilitary force has decided to pursue it.

The CRPF today filed a case against Chakraborty in the Haldia additional chief judi-cial magistrate’s court for assaulting the constable and obstructing its jawans from carrying out their duty at Garupara in Nandigram during the first phase of the panchayat polls on May 11.

“We moved the court because the Nandigram police station refused to register the FIR against the OC,” CRPF assistant commandant Prem Kumar Ravi said after filing the case in Haldia, about 150km from Calcutta.

Constable Dimple Sharma had lodged a complaint with the East Midnapore superintendent of police accusing Chakraborty of calling her names and assaulting her after the Nandigram police station refused to accept her FIR.

Prem Kumar today alleged that no probe was conducted into the OC’s conduct.

Magistrate Arpan Chattopadhyay has asked Haldia subdivisional police officer Gaurav Sharma to conduct a probe and submit a report.

State home secretary Asok Mohan Chakrabarti had on May 18 dismissed the “molestation charge” against Chakraborty and CRPF deputy inspector-general Alok Raj, who had gone to Nandigram on the eve of the polls to oversee the law-and-order situation.

“The charges of molestation against the CRPF deputy director-general and the OC have no credibility. I personally detest the idea of hurling the allegation of molestation at the slightest pretext,” the home secretary had said.

Raj had denied the allegation against him and said he was being framed. On polling day, he had a heated telephone conversation with local CPM MP Lakshman Seth, who wanted the central force to be confined to its camp.

Two CPM supporters in Nandigram had accused Raj of molesting them during a raid. But one of them later distanced herself from the allegation. “I don’t know anyone by the name of Alok Raj and no jawan has molested me. CRPF jawans, however, beat up my brother-in-law,” the 32-year-old housewife said.

The complaint filed at Nandigram police station had said: “On Saturday night, CRPF jawans entered our house and beat up my husband’s brother. When I went to protest, Alok Raj pulled my sari and molested me.”

Asked about the complaint carrying her purported signature, she said: “The leaders told me to sign a complaint and I followed their orders.”

Trinamul Congress MLA Sisir Adhikary had earlier lodged a complaint against Chakraborty for inciting CPM activists to attack Mamata Banerjee’s convoy at Garupara when she went there on April 23.

Following complaints against Chakraborty, the district administration had asked the Haldia subdivisional police officer to oversee polling in Nandigram.

District police chief S.S. Panda today said the administration will conduct a probe against Chakraborty to comply with the court’s order.

Chakraborty said: “Let the charges be probed.”