annual report print final.qxd - Asian Centre for Human Rights
annual report print final.qxd - Asian Centre for Human Rights
annual report print final.qxd - Asian Centre for Human Rights
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INDIA HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 2005 West Bengal<br />
to the severe injuries sustained through<br />
repeated kicking and other similar<br />
physical abuse <strong>for</strong> his refusal to give<br />
money to the security personnel to buy<br />
alcohol. The Superintendent of Police of<br />
Malda registered a case; but BSF<br />
authorities denied any involvement of<br />
their soldiers and alleged that he died of<br />
heart attack. 16<br />
Tapan Manna was killed when the<br />
police resorted to open firing to disperse a<br />
mob at Dwarikapur in East Midnapore in<br />
the evening of 26 February 2004. The mob<br />
had gathered outside the house of the inlaws<br />
of Banibala Samanta who died of<br />
burns. Her family alleged that she was<br />
murdered. 17<br />
On 12 November 2004, Abhijnan<br />
Basu was allegedly burnt to death inside<br />
Presidency jail. The deceased was<br />
<strong>report</strong>edly doused with diesel fuel and set<br />
on fire by officers of the Presidency jail<br />
allegedly <strong>for</strong> daring to protest against the<br />
quality and quantity of food provided to<br />
the prisoners. 18<br />
ii. Arbitrary arrest, detention and<br />
torture<br />
Torture in police custody of the<br />
suspects is routine <strong>for</strong> the West Bengal<br />
Police. The Border Security Force<br />
personnel have also been responsible <strong>for</strong><br />
torture of suspects.<br />
Rajesh Gurung was allegedly severely<br />
beaten up in Coke Oven police lock-up in<br />
Durgapur and held in illegal detention<br />
throughout the night of 1 May 2004.<br />
Gurung and Piyali Sarkar had eloped on<br />
262<br />
the night of 27 April 2004 and got married<br />
in a court in Durgapur. On the same night,<br />
Piyali’s father Harisadhan lodged a<br />
complaint with the police alleging that his<br />
daughter had been abducted by Gurung.<br />
Gurung was admitted at Durgapur Subdivisional<br />
Hospital on 3 May 2004. 19<br />
On 5 May 2004, the West Bengal<br />
<strong>Human</strong> <strong>Rights</strong> Commission ordered an<br />
inquiry into the alleged police torture of<br />
Sushil Sharma, a Congress worker, who<br />
was arrested on 26 February 2004 in<br />
connection with a murder case. Sharma’s<br />
wife, Aparna, a commissioner of<br />
Behrampore municipality, alleged that her<br />
husband was tortured in custody. 20<br />
On the late night of 3 September 2004,<br />
Madhusudan Seth of Mamudpur village,<br />
Kalna in Bardhaman District was arrested<br />
by the Police of Manteswar Police Station<br />
under alleged false charges of domestic<br />
violence. Seth was arrested without<br />
issuing arrest memo. He was produced<br />
be<strong>for</strong>e the court of Sub Divisional Judicial<br />
Magistrate on 4 September. However,<br />
while in custody and being produced<br />
be<strong>for</strong>e the court, Seth was meted out illtreatment.<br />
While being arrested, he was<br />
wearing only an underwear but he was not<br />
allowed to change his cloth <strong>for</strong> two days<br />
on 4 and 5 September 2004. Moreover, the<br />
police paraded Seth in public merely<br />
wearing his undergarments <strong>for</strong> several<br />
hours to humiliate him. 21<br />
On the night of 13 November 2004,<br />
alleged drunken jawans of the India<br />
Reserve Battalion armed with hockey<br />
sticks and cricket bats brutally beat up