'Made to sign white paper': Two Sandeshkhali women withdraw rape complaint against TMC leaders

West Bengal: A woman and her mother-in-law in Sandeshkhali have withdrawn their rape complaint against TMC leaders, alleging that they were made to sign "white paper" at the behest of the National Commission for Women, India Today reported on Thursday. The woman claimed that she and her mother-in-law were forced to file fake rape complaints without even knowing the contents of the complaint at the behest of "Delhi's Mahila Commission".

The women lodged a fresh complaint with the police, citing threats and ostracism because of her decision to withdraw the complaint against the TMC leaders.

On Wednesday, the woman and her mother-in-law recorded their statement before the magistrate. "We don't want to be associated with any false complaints... nobody is even talking to us in our neighbourhood. When I asked them to rescind the false complaint, I was chased away," she said. 

According to the woman, two women - Piyali Das and Mampi Das - came to their home and took her mother-in-law to the police station. "After she went to the police station, the gate was locked from inside. My mother-in-law only said that she had yet to get her dues for cooking as part of the 100 days' job scheme. She was then made to sign a white paper. We did not know about the cases," the woman said.

The woman said she later came to know that she and her mother-in-law were on the list of women who alleged rape by local TMC leaders. She said no such things had happened to them. "It was scripted, false allegations. We don't want to be associated with any false complaints."

This comes just days after a purported video surfaced on social media, showing a BJP worker claiming the party's role in the Sandeshkhali incident. In the video, a man claiming to be Gangadhar Kayal -- BJP mandal president in Sandeshkhali -- was heard saying that Adhikari was "behind the whole conspiracy". 

In the "sting operation" video done by a news platform, Kayal is heard saying sexual harassment complaints were filed at the behest of Adhikari. West Bengal BJP president Sukanta Majumdar, meanwhile, alleged that the "sting operation" was "fake", and suspected that it was made using artificial intelligence (AI).

PTI reported that the TMC will lodge a complaint with the EC against Suvendu Adhikari and others, claiming that a saffron party leader has "confessed" on camera that the rape accusations in the Sandeshkhali incident were concocted. The TMC will submit a letter to EC later in the day, the sources told PTI.