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Trinamool Expels Birbhum Councillor Amid Rape Promise Scandal

The Trinamool Congress has taken swift action against one of its own members. Priyanath Sau faced serious allegations of deception and sexual assault from a young woman. Party leadership under Abhishek Banerjee conducted a proper review before making the decision. This expulsion reflects the party's recent stance against protecting members facing criminal charges.

Key Points: Trinamool Expels Priyanath Sau After Rape Promise Allegations

  • Abhishek Banerjee ordered expulsion after thorough case review
  • Accused concealed marriage status while promising victim marriage
  • Victim met councillor during voter ID preparation in 2015
  • Police investigation ongoing but no arrest made yet
2 min read

Trinamool expels Birbhum councillor accused of raping woman on false promise of marriage

Trinamool Congress expels Birbhum councillor Priyanath Sau accused of raping woman on false marriage promise. Abhishek Banerjee orders immediate disciplinary action.

"After verifying all aspects of the matter, he instructed us to expel the councillor from the party for an indefinite period - Ashish Banerjee"

Kolkata, Oct 30

The Trinamool Congress on Thursday expelled a party councillor from Birbhum district after he was accused of raping a woman on the false promise of marriage. The decision came within 24 hours of the filing of a police case against him.

According to the party, Priyanath Sau, the accused councillor and vice-president of the Rampurhat city Trinamool committee, was expelled following directions from Abhishek Banerjee, Trinamool Congress national general secretary and leader of the party in the Lok Sabha.

An FIR was registered against Sau on Wednesday based on a complaint lodged by a young woman who alleged that he concealed his marriage and entered into a physical relationship with her under the false pretext of marrying her, only to later renege on his promise.

Deputy Speaker of the West Bengal Assembly and Rampurhat Trinamool Congress MLA Ashish Banerjee announced the disciplinary action at the party office in Rampurhat on Thursday afternoon.

"The decision to expel him was taken after a thorough review by Abhishek Banerjee. Our leader does not believe in rash decisions. After verifying all aspects of the matter, he instructed us to expel the councillor from the party for an indefinite period," Banerjee told reporters.

According to the police complaint, the victim said she met Sau in 2015 while preparing her voter identity card. She alleged that although he was already married and had a child, he hid this fact from her and repeatedly raped her over the years on the promise of marriage.

"When her family later approached Sau for marriage, he refused, claiming he was already married," the complaint stated.

A senior officer of the Birbhum district police confirmed that a case had been registered and investigation had begun. "A case has been registered. We have started an investigation and are looking into all aspects of the allegations," the officer said.

As of Thursday evening, the police had not arrested the accused councillor.

The expulsion comes amid a series of image-sensitive disciplinary measures by the Trinamool Congress in recent months, with the party leadership stressing that individuals facing criminal charges would not be shielded or tolerated.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Quick action by TMC is appreciated, but why wasn't this man's character checked before giving him such an important position? Political parties need better background verification systems. The victim must have suffered for years - hope she gets justice soon.
A
Arjun K
While I appreciate the swift expulsion, I'm concerned that the police haven't arrested him yet. If this was a common citizen, would the response be the same? The law should be equal for everyone, regardless of political connections.
S
Sarah B
As someone working with women's rights organizations, I see this pattern too often. Powerful men exploiting their positions and making false promises. The courage shown by this woman to come forward is commendable. Hope this sets an example for other victims to speak up. 💪
V
Vikram M
This is exactly why we need stronger laws against false promise of marriage. It's not just emotional cheating - it's criminal when consent is obtained through deception. Hope the investigation is thorough and justice is served.
M
Michael C
Respect to Abhishek Banerjee for taking immediate action. In many political parties, such accused persons are protected for years. At least here there's some accountability. Hope other parties follow this example of zero tolerance for such crimes.

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