Malda, April 11: The CPM leadership today demanded a magisterial inquiry into the alleged rape of a woman inside the Bamongola panchayat office on April 4. CPM panchayat pradhan Habibuddin Rahman has been charged with the rape.

An angry Malda secretary of the party Jiban Moitra today wrote to district magistrate Ashok Bala, expressing anguish over the way the police had started a rape case without verifying anything. He smelt a “conspiracy” in the probe and demanded that all those who were in league be exposed and punished.

Moitra lashed out at Malda superintendent of police Pankaj Dutta. “What is the difference between an IPS officer and a constable? One can lodge a complaint against anyone. It is the job of the police to verify the charges to start a case,” Moitra told reporters.

Dutta said the woman had herself lodged a complaint with the police stating that she had been raped. “My hands are tied. I have to act as per the rules. I cannot help if someone does not like it. We are inquiring into it seriously,” the Malda police chief said. Attempts are on to arrest the panchayat pradhan, he added.

Congress workers today held a demonstration in front of the office of the SP, demanding immediate arrest of the guilty panchayat pradhan. District general secretary of the party Baman Moitra alleged that the CPM leadership was desperate to hush up the scandal.

The woman, who had been missing since the day she lodged the complaint, was found at the sadar hospital today.

Scoffing at the charge of the woman, Moitra said: “Is it convincing that a woman who says she was raped on April 4 morning lodged a written complaint with the police at midnight on April 8? What prevented her from lodging the complaint as soon as the incident occurred? And why did only Trinamul Congress leaders accompany her to the police station?”

The CPM leader added that it appeared unusual that neither the woman’s husband nor any other relative was present when she went to the police station.

The woman, however, told this correspondent that she had been kept confined in the CPM party office and was admitted to the hospital two days ago. “They are now threatening me to withdraw the case,” she said.

CPM district secretary Moitra denied the allegation.

The woman also alleged that her husband was not taking her back as he was angry with her for the incident. She said her husband had tried to set her on fire by pouring kerosene on her after she told her of what had happened. Then she herself took poison to kill herself.