Cooch Behar, July 30: A 36-year-old housewife was raped allegedly by a CPM member at Ghoksadanga last night, seven years after six members of the party had gangraped a woman in a nearby village.

The rape victim of 2003, Runu Das, today stood by the housewife and said she would help her get justice.

“I myself was raped by local CPM leaders and workers. When I heard of yesterday’s incident, I took her to the police station and lodged a complaint. I will fight for her so that Ananda Dey is put behind bars. We will also gherao Mathabhanga police station on August 1 to demand his arrest,” said Runu, who is now a Trinamul Congress member.

The housewife alleged that Ananda Dey had raped her at her home in the Mathabhanga subdivision around 9.30pm.

The Cooch Behar district president of Trinamul, Rabindranath Ghosh, said the party was behind the housewife in her fight for justice. “We will gherao the police station if the culprit is not arrested. We are also keeping a close watch on yesterday’s victim who has been sent for a medical examination.”

Additional superintendent of police Amit Javalgi said the accused was absconding and efforts were on to arrest him.

According to the police, the woman stays alone and her husband works as a carpenter in Jaigaon. Taking advantage of the situation, the accused raped her and fled the area. Her two-year-old daughter was in the house next door. Ghoksadanga is 30km from here.

CPM leader of Mathabhanga Arun Chowdhury said he was not aware of the incident and would refrain from commenting.

Runu was firm in her resolve. “I had come out in the open and fought for justice. The woman who was raped last night needs my help. People in the state know that I am a rape victim and how I fought the CPM. I am not afraid of anything.”

Runu was gangraped by the six CPM members on February 22, 2003 at the house of her in-laws. After the incident, she was driven out of her in-laws’ house in Chheramari. Since then, she and her three children have been living in a neighbouring village with her parents.

The six are serving a 10-year jail term.

Members of the National Commission for Women and Mamata Banerjee had visited Runu after the incident. Trinamul made the rape a major issue and won six gram panchayats in rural body elections.