Burdwan gangrape claims FABRICATED: Mamata

Days after calling the Park street rape case in Kolkata fabricated, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday claimed that the alleged gangrape of a woman in Burdwan was concocted by the Left and accused the opposition of making false propaganda to malign the state's image.

The Communist Party of India-Marxist dismissed as ridiculous and outrageous Mamata's charges that the Left was indulging in a conspiracy by making claims of rape attacks.

"A complaint of rape has been filed. Nothing has been found. Where is the evidence? I do not think any incident of rape has taken place," Banerjee told a press conference.

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The complainant had admitted that her husband was a CPI-M supporter, Banerjee said, denying reports that a woman was gangraped on Sunday beside railway tracks at Pachundi in the Katwa area of Burdwan district. She said those trying to tarnish the image of the state would not be spared.

"I hear a political party has planned to use its workers to cry rape. I do not understand where the culture of the party has gone."

The woman had complained that she was gangraped beside the tracks when she resisted dacoits looting passengers of a local train near Panchundi.

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Stating that Delhi had witnessed six rapes and Noida one gangrape recently, she said, "Bengal is a civilised place. Someone wants to malign the image of the state by making false propaganda. Just as a murderer is punished the conspirator will also not be spared."

Asserting that her government would not allow negligence by the police in attending to genuine complaints, she said, "But at the same time, the police have a responsibility to ascertain if a complaint is genuine."

Rejecting Mamata's allegations against Left as ridiculous and outrageous, CPI-M leader Brinda Karat said, "The message that goes out is that any woman who is a victim of rape cannot expect justice if the chief minister sees conspiracies everywhere."

"The police does not bother to investigate rape cases since the CM feels there is no truth in it," Brinda added.

Less than a fortnight back, a woman filed a police case saying she had been raped by a gang of men who she met at a nightclub on Kolkata's famous Park Street.

Mamata dismissed the rape as "fabricated" and said the CPI-M was trying to malign her government. The police, however, confirmed the victim's version of events and has arrested three men.