Dinajpur woman tied, tortured over land dispute; Civic volunteer’s family accused

A woman from North Dinajpur was allegedly tortured and confined by the family of a civic volunteer over a long-running land dispute. The incident took place in the Barua Gram Panchayat area under Rajganj police station. The woman, a housewife, had been involved in a dispute with her husband’s neighbor, a civic volunteer, over financial transactions related to land purchases and a local pond. Reports indicate that the dispute had been ongoing for some time and reached a violent escalation.

On Tuesday night, the accused civic volunteer’s family allegedly set fire to the woman’s house. The following morning, the woman was allegedly attacked, dragged to the accused family’s home, and tied by her hands and waist with ropes. Her family claims she was physically abused while restrained. Prior to this, the victim had reportedly filed complaints about physical assault and harassment at the local police station. However, following the complaint, the accused civic volunteer reportedly went into hiding, and his family rejected any police intervention, opting instead for local village arbitration.

Following the assault, the woman’s family filed a new written complaint with the Raiganj police. In response, the police rescued the woman and initiated an investigation into the incident. Police are working to apprehend the accused individuals and gather more details from the victim and witnesses. Investigators are also reviewing the previous complaints filed by the victim regarding the ongoing abuse.

The local political figures have been informed about the dispute. Noni Gopal Barman, the husband of a local panchayat member and regional president of the Trinamool Congress, confirmed that he was aware of the ongoing issue between the two families. Barman stated that he had contacted the police after learning about the assault. The accused family, however, denied the charges, claiming that the woman had arrived at their house voluntarily and that their actions were misinterpreted. The investigation into the case is currently ongoing.