Burdwan, Aug. 20: A group of men in a Burdwan village abducted a tribal woman and her brother-in-law, beat them up and tied them to a tree before holding a kangaroo court where they were fined Rs 25,000 for “having an illicit relationship”.

The two, who were kept locked up for two days at a local CPM leader’s home, were released last night after the woman’s father lodged a police complaint.

Rukmini (name changed), 25, had been living with her father Gobardhan Kisku, a farm labourer, at Madarpara village for the past six years after her husband deserted her.

Rukmini said her brother-in-law Subal (name changed), 40, a marginal farmer, had come to their home on Tuesday morning to invite her and Gobardhan to a family programme. “I was then alone at home as my father had gone to the field to work,” Rukmini said.

“Suddenly a dozen people barged into our house. They accused us of having an illicit affair and took us to the neighbouring Jadabgunj village where they locked us up in the house of CPM leader Ruplal Soren. Some of the villagers beat us up,” she said.

“On Tuesday night, both of us were tied to a tree outside the house and a kangaroo court was held. There, the villagers fined me Rs 15,000 and my brother-in-law Rs 10,000. When we said we would not be able to pay so much money, they locked us up again,” Rukmini said.

However, the duo were released after Gobardhan lodged a complaint with Ausgram police station. He has named four youths — Badal, Kishan, Joshore and Chitta — in the FIR.

Ramen Talukdar, the inspector in charge of Ausgram police station, said: “We had sent a police team to Jadabgunj to arrest them. However, the four youths are absconding.”

CPM local committee secretary of Ausgram, Bangshi Mondal, avoided questions on Soren’s connection with the case. He said the incident was “an internal matter of the tribal village” and his party had nothing to do with it.