A woman in West Bengal, who had accused Rajya Sabha MP and expelled CPI(M) leader Ritabrata Banerjee of 'sexually exploiting her' by promising marriage, filed a complaint at a local police station on Tuesday.
The woman, in her mid-twenties, from Balurghat in North Dinajpur alleged in her complaint that she had physical relation with Banerjee in Kolkata and Delhi and stayed with him in several occasions. The MP is married but separated from his wife.
“The MP did not marry me though he had promised me,” she said.
The woman, who was on a study tour abroad, said she met Banerjee on social media and later came to know that he was an MP. “He sent me air tickets to come to Delhi in 2016. That was the first time I met him. I stayed in his South Delhi residence and we had physical relation several times,” she said.
She claimed that both of them have been in relation for over a year and that recently she came to know that Banerjee has affair with another woman.
“In fact, a CPI(M) leader told me that he had relation with as many as 19 women,” said she. The woman also claimed that it was she who gifted the MP an apple watch, for which Banerjee had drawn a lot of criticism inside the party for his lavish lifestyle.
According to the woman, the MP tried to shut her mouth by paying her Rs 2.5 lakh.
“I am not a commodity who would easily be sold. I want justice,” she said.
Banerjee was not immediately available for a comment. The MP also has lodged a complaint with the Kolkata police against the girl, accusing her of black-mailing him.
“The girl wanted money for her treatment. So I paid it to her. I also helped her by arranging educational loan. But the more she got, the more she demanded,” said Banerjee to police.
According to Banerjee’s complaint, the woman had demanded Rs 50 lakh from him recently after which the MP decided to go to police.
The fresh controversy erupted at a time when Banerjee is said to be in talks with a section of Trinamool Congress leaders over his political future. He also raised speculation two days back when he held a closed-door meeting with suspended Trinamool Congress leader Mukul Roy.
