Sex-assault cuffs on panchayat member’s hubby

Howrah: A 47-year-old mother died while trying to save her college-going daughter from sexual assault, allegedly by the husband of a Trinamool panchayat member in Howrah’s

Bagnan

and his accomplice, early on Wednesday. Accused Kush Bera (36) was arrested in the evening.

The incident in Bagnan’s Gopalpur took a political turn after BJP MPs Locket Chatterjee and Saumitra Khan staged a road blockade.

Around 12.30am, the 20-year-old daughter, student of a local college, was on the terrace of her one-storeyed house when she noticed Bera and an accomplice climbing a supari tree just beside her house. They jumped on to the terrace and “Kush Bera gagged me and his friend started sexually assaulting me”, the girl alleged.

“Hearing me scream, my mother ran up to rescue me. Kush pushed my mother down the stairs leading to the terrace. She suffered head injuries and started vomiting. She then fell unconscious. Kush and his accomplice climbed down the supari tree after snatching my mobile,” the girl added.

The girl, along with her father, rushed her mother to Bagnan Rural Hospital, which referred her to Uluberia State General Hospital. There, she was declared “dead on arrival”.

As the news spread, residents staged a protest, led by local BJP leaders who demanded Bera’s arrest. They alleged Bera was also involved in molestation of other local women.

In the afternoon, BJP MPs Chatterjee and Khan reached Bagnan and Khan soon led a blockade of NH-6 at the Khadinan crossing. Chatterjee said: “If this family does not get justice, we will launch an intense agitation in Bagnan.” The girl, accompanied by the BJP MP, went to Bagnan police station to lodge an FIR. Additional SP Rana Mukherjee said: “We have arrested main accused Kush Bera from a hideout. We are looking for his accomplice. They have been charged with murder, molestation and illegal trespass and snatching.”

Local Trinamool MLA Arunava Sen said: “The party will take action against him for this incident.”