Eve-teasing or overtaking? BJP, TMC spar over Bengal woman's death
What's the story
A political row has erupted in West Bengal after a 27-year-old woman died in a road mishap in Paschim Bardhaman district.
The victim's car allegedly overturned while being chased by another vehicle.
The ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have since been locked in a war of words over the details of her death.
Political accusations
BJP accuses TMC of failing to protect women
Union Minister and BJP MP Sukanta Majumdar has taken to social media to slam Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for not ensuring the safety of women in West Bengal.
In a post, Majumdar wrote, "Every day, horrific crimes against women are reported, yet the government remains silent."
He went on to question Banerjee's commitment to her campaign slogan 'Maa, Mati, Manush' as under her regime "women are raped...murdered...and silenced."
Counterclaim
TMC refutes eve-teasing allegations, cites police reports
In the wake of BJP's allegations, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh released a video denying any eve-teasing angle to the incident.
Referring to police reports, Ghosh described it as a "traffic problem" and accused unnamed people of distorting facts.
He said, "The police probe found this was an overtaking case. Even the victim's side didn't make such an accusation."
Should the eve-teasing claims be accurate, "such people" ought to be "chained and paraded," he added.
Investigation update
Police classify incident as 'road accident'
The Asansol-Durgapur Commissioner of Police, Sunil Kumar Choudhary, has termed the incident a "road accident."
Choudhary said CCTV footage showed the victim's car chasing another vehicle after an overtake led to an accident.
He slammed media houses for reporting what he called "incorrect news."
However, contradicting accounts came from another senior officer who said a white vehicle with five people started following the victim's car after refueling at a petrol pump.
Family response
Victim's mother expresses dissatisfaction with police investigation
The officer alleged that "the men in the other car started making lewd remarks toward the woman and driving recklessly."
The victim's mother also dismissed the reports that her daughter died in a road accident, stating that "the people in the white vehicle are still free."
The deceased woman was a management professional from Chinsurah in Hooghly district. She was traveling with three colleagues to attend a function in Bihar's Gaya when the incident happened.