Hooghly tenses as TMC panchayat member held in sexual assault case after mob beating

Chanditala police arrested a Trinamool Congress panchayat member on allegations of sexually assaulting a neighbouring woman, an incident that triggered severe tension in the Khanpur area under Chanditala police station. The arrest followed a night of unrest during which the accused was allegedly assaulted by local residents during a mediation attempt.

According to reports, the accused, a member of the Barijhati Gram Panchayat, had allegedly been sexually harassing the woman for a prolonged period, which reportedly resulted in her pregnancy. After the matter surfaced, families and neighbours attempted to resolve the issue through local mediation, but the talks failed to bring any settlement.

As anger mounted, the accused panchayat member was allegedly beaten during the mediation meeting. When police reached the spot to rescue him, an enraged mob reportedly snatched him from custody and continued the assault. Police later regained control of the situation, rescued the accused, and took him to Chanditala police station. The victim’s family subsequently lodged a formal complaint, following which the accused was arrested. The area remains tense, with police maintaining a close watch.