Tamluk: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday arrested a 70-year-old woman, Indubala Das, a key witness in a high-profile 2007 Nandigram gang-rape case, sparking a fresh political row in Bengal. Das's lawyer Bimal Majhi said she was arrested for missing multiple court summons. Das was produced before a Fast Track court in Haldia on Thursday, which granted her bail. "Usually, if a witness fails to appear for hearings despite repeated summons, the court issues a bailable warrant. That is what happened here," Majhi explained.
The Trinamool Congress said the arrest was "inhumane" and "politically motivated." Addressing a press conference in Nandigram, TMC Tamluk organisational district president Sujit Roy alleged that the CBI was targeting victims while protecting the perpetrators. TMC's Abu Taher said, "The CBI could have recorded her statement at her residence given her health condition. Instead, they issued a warrant at the behest of the BJP. This proves the agency is working for political interests rather than justice."
The local BJP leadership, however, remained tight-lipped.