TMC accuses Delhi Police of assault after Malda woman narrates ordeal

Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Wednesday accused Delhi Police of “assault and extortion” in connection with the alleged harassment of Malda resident Sajinur Parveen and her one-year-old child in the national capital, an incident also highlighted by Chief Minister and party supremo Mamata Banerjee.

The family filed a complaint with Kolkata Police on Wednesday, alleging that Delhi Police detained them and subjected both the woman and her infant to torture. Mamata Banerjee had recently shared images of the bruised child on her social media account. However, Delhi Police dismissed the allegation, claiming the image posted by the Bengal Chief Minister was fake.

Contrary to what the Delhi Police claimed, the victim’s family, during a Press conference on Wednesday, narrated their harrowing ordeal in the national capital. Parveen claimed that her family had been living in the Shriram Chowk area of Delhi’s Panjan Nagar for the past 25 years. Recently, four individuals visited their home and asked for ID proof.

Although she presented her Aadhaar card, they accused her of being Bangladeshi. Her husband was not present at the time. The following day, two men and two women arrived again, identifying themselves as police personnel. Parveen and her young child were allegedly taken to an undisclosed location, where the child was brutally beaten by the individuals posing as police.

They reportedly demanded Rs 25,000 from the family. Later, her husband went to the location and handed over the money, after which both the woman and the child were released.

The woman claimed that she was forced to sign several papers by the Delhi Police personnel. On Wednesday, municipal affairs and urban development minister, Firhad Hakim and TMC state general secretary, Kunal Ghosh presented Parveen during a press conference.

Hakim said that the Delhi Police tried to dub the Bengal Chief Minister’s social media post as fake only to suppress their fault. “We secured their belongings and helped them when they were fleeing from Delhi and the state government will take full responsibility for the family as per the Chief Minister’s instructions,” said Hakim.

TMC leader Kunal Ghosh alleged that the Delhi Police have failed to release CCTV footage from the location where the mother and child were detained and accused the force of extorting money from the victim’s family.

The woman claimed that policemen in plainclothes had come to her house in East Delhi’s Geeta Colony at 11 am on July 26 (Saturday), and took her into custody despite taking her documents the day before.

While in custody, she claimed, she and her one-and-a-half-year-old son were beaten, and she was forced to pay Rs 25,000. According to Bibi, the policemen took her to a park behind K R Mangalam Hospital, where they subjected her to physical assault and extortion.