Kolkata: A harrowing video from Malda in West Bengal, showing two women being paraded naked and physically assaulted by dozens of people, has led to statewide outrage. Bengal Police has arrested five people for uploading the video, it is learnt.

The incident took place near Ratuachak in Pakuahat of Malda, last Tuesday, but only came to public attention on Saturday, July 22, after the video started being circulated on social media. Circulating footage captures how the two women were mercilessly beaten and humiliated by their attackers in front of civic volunteers, a group of contractual staff assisting the police. The attackers were predominantly women.

Malda superintendent of police Pradeep Kumar Yadav told reporters that three women had lost their purses after withdrawing money from a bank on Tuesday. Locals suspected the two women had stolen the purses and intended to punish them. Civic volunteers had gone to rescue the women. Police are yet to find out whether the attacked women had the purses.

Many have questioned why police did not arrive at the scene in spite of the fact that a police post was 15 minutes away from the site. Police's considerable delay in acknowledging the incident – something it did only after the videos came to light – is also being criticised.

Sheikh Farukh, who was at the scene, told The Wire that his efforts to stop people from raining blows on the women bore no fruit. "How could a civic volunteer stop such a huge crowd. Why couldn't police come?" he asked.

By the time the civic volunteers rescued the women, they had been severely injured.

The daughter of one of the attacked women has alleged that no proper medical attention was given to her mother and the other woman at the police station after their rescue from the scene. Instead, they were taken into custody, further exacerbating the distressing situation. Police has not confirmed whether they the two women were indeed taken into custody.

State Minister for Women and Child Health, Shashi Panja, told reporters that the women were involved in a scuffle with other women who accused them of theft, and the women civic police volunteers present at the scene tried to stop the violence. The women left the spot later on their own, she claimed. 

Panja also added that there was "no need to politicise" the incident.

The incident has, however, fast become a political issue in the state, with the Bharatiya Janata Party claiming that the attacked women belonged to a tribal community, a claim that is being challenged by the CPI(M).

The incident comes days after the video of two Manipur women being paraded naked and sexually assaulted in Thoubal district created nationwide ripples.

Translated from the Bengali original by Aparna Bhattacharya. 

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