03-West Bengal Report.pdf - People's watch

Case Details:
FF Code : W.B./MON (Susmita Roy Choudhury)/
24 PGS (S)/Nov-09/11/2006/SL.No.—18
Victim(s) : 1)Rehana Khatun 2)Alekjan Bewa
Perpetrator(s) : Officer-in-Charge, the Basanti PS
Location : At the victim’s residence at no. 6
Sonakhali village
Date of incident : 03/07/2006
The victim is thirty-year-old Mrs. Rehana Khatun, daughter of the late Abdul Mujid Sardar,
residing at Sonakhali village in South 24 Parganas district. She was murdered by her husband
Amaresh Mondal and the police ignored the complaint given to them by the victim’s mother.
Mr. Amaresh Mondal developed a relationship with Ms. Rehena Khatun. He converted to Islam
and changed his name to Imran Sardar and married Rehena on 26 March 1996. The marriage
was registered and solemnized according to Muslim law. At the time of marriage, Rehena’s
relatives gifted several household articles, ornaments and cash as dowry. However, after the
marriage Mr. Mondal started regularly beating Rehena for more dowry. He also allegedly
developed an illicit relationship with another woman in the village.
On 3 July 2006, Amaresh Mondal tied his wife’s hands with rope and covered her mouth with
a cloth to prevent her from screaming. Amaresh poured kerosene on Rehena, and lit her on
fire. Amaresh’s two children witnessed him pulling Rehena into a room, rather than saving her.
Rehena was rushed to the Canning Hospital by her maternal uncles. Rehena whole body was
burned. Meanwhile, Amaresh took cash money, valuable bank papers, insurance papers and
Rehena’s gold ornaments from their home and went to his father’s house with his son; he left his
5-year-old daughter alone at home.
On 6 July 2006, Rehena died from her injuries. Before her death, no police officer recorded
Rehena’s statement. After Rehena’s death, her mother Alekjan Bewa went to the Basanti PS to
lodge a complaint against Amaresh Mondal. However, local cadres of the ruling party forced
Alekjan Bewa to make a statement that her Rehena died due to a stove blast. The PO also
refused to register her complaint and forced her to sign blank papers. The PO told Alekjan to
solve the matter amicably after Rehena’s burial was completed.
Since then, Amaresh Mondal and other CPIM cadres have been threatening the Alekjan Bewa,
trying to intimidate her into covering up the incident. Fearing for her life, Alekjan Bewa fled from
her home and went into hiding.
West Bengal
147
Annual Report on Torture
2007