Sandeshkhali BJP Worker Released A Day After High Court Grants Her Bail

A BJP worker of Sandeshkhali, Piyali Das, was released from a correctional home on Saturday, a day after the Calcutta High Court granted her bail in a criminal case and ordered her immediate release on personal bond.

A case was filed against Ms Das alleging that she got the signature of a woman of Sandeshkhali on a blank paper which was later filled up as complaints of sexual assault against TMC leaders.

After Ms Das came out of Dum Dum Central Correctional Home near here on Saturday evening, BJP supporters greeted her with garlands and flower bouquets.

"I will remain with the truth and continue to fight this conspiracy. It is now proven in the court that my arrest was illegal. I will continue to stand by suffering women of Sandeshkhali and fight against the ruling party's atrocities," Ms Das told reporters.

Allegations of sexual abuse and land grab were leveled against TMC leaders of Sandeshkhali.

Ms Das also alleged that two Sandeshkhali TMC leaders including Dilip Mallick had tried to bribe her with Rs 20 lakh in cash.

Mr Mallick, however, rejected the charge.

Following her surrender in Basirhat sub-divisional court on May 14, the additional chief judicial magistrate rejected her bail prayer and remanded her to eight days' judicial custody.

Ms Das then moved the Calcutta High Court seeking bail.

Her lawyer Rajdeep Majumder had submitted before the high court that IPC 195A (forcing a person to give false evidence), a non-bailable section, was added against her by the police after she surrendered before the lower court.

The West Bengal government had opposed the bail prayer.

The matter will be taken up for hearing again on June 19.

The riverine Sandeshkhali area - situated on the borders of the Sundarbans, about 100 kilometres from Kolkata - had been on the boil in February with protests over allegations of sexual abuse and land grab against now arrested TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh and his supporters.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)