Mohammed Salim, Amit Malviya booked by Bengal Police for circulating video of Chopra public flogging after victim complains: ‘I have been defamed’

The complaint letter of the victim was written in Bengali, a copy of which is with The Indian Express, and stated, “Social media.i amar ekta video viral hoyechhe. Jar jonyo amar sommamhani hoyechhe. Fole somaje amar bash kora khubi onipojogi hoye giyechhe (One of my videos has gone viral on social media. I have been defamed due to this. Therefore, it has become difficult for me to stay in society).”

Naming Salim and Malviya in her complaint, she said, “I want proper legal action against those who are guilty and my video should be deleted immediately.”

According to the FIR, the copy of which is with The Indian Express, a case has been filed under section Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 79 (insult to modesty of woman), 294 (obscenity), 356 (2) (defamation) and IT Act sections 66A (sending offensive messages through computer or other communication devices) 66E (capturing image of a person’s private area without consent), 67A (publishing material that contains sexually explicit acts or conduct in electronic form).

On June 28, a man and a woman were flogged in a kangaroo court at Chopra in the Uttar Dinajpur district over their alleged extramarital relationship. Tajimul Islam, identified as the one who was mercilessly whipping the duo after they were dragged into the kangaroo court, is a Trinamool Congress (TMC) local functionary who is known as JCB.

The video of the incident was shared on the social media handles of Malviya and Salim on June 30. Subsequent to public outrage following the video going viral, the police registered a case on their own and arrested the main accused, Islam, along with three others. They invoked attempt to murder and molestation charges against the accused.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Salim said, “This kind of oppression is common in the region where the TMC tries to silence any opposition to maintain control. Similar incidents have occurred in Sandeshkhali, Diamond Harbour, Falta, and other places. A young person who filmed the incident had his home ransacked and was forced to flee. The ruling party is attempting to intimidate those who are speaking out against these injustices. However, they fail to realise that their actions cannot stop the protest.”

In a post on X, Salim called the FIR against him a “fake case against voice of protest”.

उल्टी नगरी, चौपट राज। @AITCofficial’s SOP in such cases. Fake case against voice of protest. #JCB gang and police work in tandem. #ChopraAtrocities pic.twitter.com/MvpTiUH93J

— Md Salim (@salimdotcomrade) July 8, 2024

Surajit Sen, the BJP vice president of Uttar Dinajpur, said, “The victim was pressured to change her statement. Then, she was forced to file a complaint against political leaders. This is a clear example of what West Bengal and the West Bengal Police have become. It was through the video that the matter was brought to light, and the police were compelled to arrest the TMC strongman for such inhuman acts.”

In an interview with The Express after the incident, the woman had said though “punishment and assault” were not entirely unsurprising, she was not prepared for the video to go viral. “What happened here would have stayed here if the video didn’t spread… It shouldn’t have been videographed,” she had said.