West Bengal Guv seeks report from Mamata on public flogging of couple

Kolkata: West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose on Monday sought a report from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on the flogging of a couple in public in Uttar Dinajpur district's Chopra, officials said.

The governor is shocked by the incident, which was caught in a video, and called it "barbarous", they said.

"He condemned the incident and has sought an immediate report from CM Banerjee," an official told PTI.

The police on Sunday registered a case after the video of the incident that happened on Friday went viral on social media, sparking widespread outrage. PTI could not independently verify the video.

The man seen in the video beating up the couple with a bamboo stick was identified as Tajmul alias 'JCB', claimed to be a local TMC leader. He was arrested.

The couple was allegedly engaged in an illicit relationship because of which they were flogged on the direction of a kangaroo court, according to police.