An alleged Trinamul worker from Hooghly’s Singur, Ramesh Kole, was arrested on Wednesday on the charge of raping a woman when she called on him to ask for a tarpaulin for her house damaged during Amphan.
The woman filed a complaint on Tuesday evening shortly after BJP, led by Agnimitra Paul, held a protest backing her in front of Singur police station. The woman said that she was raped by Kole on June 17 but hesitated to file a complaint as she had been threatened “with dire consequences”.
Trinamul’s Hooghly president Dilip Yadav said Kole had no connection with the party. “The BJP has dragged Trinamul’s name to tarnish the party’s image,” he said.
Hooghly rural police chief Tathagata Basu confirmed Kole’s arrest.
Mishap sparks fury
Tension erupted on NH 31C near Banarhat in Jalpaiguri after schoolboy Abhijit Sanyasi, 12, was killed by a pick-up van near Lakhipara tea estate on Wednesday. Furious residents blocked the highway and torched a police bike to demand the driver’s arrest.