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

Case Details:
FF Code : W.B./MON(Aditi Kar)/
Kolkata/July- 25/07/2007/
Sl.No.-60
Victim(s) : Dipankar Pal
Perpetrator(s) : 1) Aziz Mondal, SI;
2) POs
Location : Muchipara PS, Kolkata,
West Bengal
Date of incident : 09/07/2007 – 11/07/2007
Victim Dipankar Pal, age 28, is originally from Assam. He worked for more than two years at a
gold workshop owned by Ashim Pal in the Bowbazar area of Kolkata. The workshop where he
worked was near the workshop of Dipak Karmakar. Dipak Karmakar accused one of his
employees, Biplap Chatterjee from Assam, of stealing gold.
On 9 July 2007 at 11.45pm, Dipak Karmakar and one other person approached Dipankar Pal
near his workplace and took him forcibly to the Duty Officer’s room at Muchipara PS before
leaving.
At 3.30pm, SI Abdul Aziz Mondal told Dipankar Pal that the Assam Police had arrested Biplab
Chatterjee, who had confessed that Dipankar Pal was involved with him in disposing of the stolen
gold. Dipankar Pal denied the accusation, but the SI did not believe him. Dipankar Pal requested
repeatedly to contact his family, but the SI refused.
On 10 July 2007, a PC helped Dipankar Pal to contact his family.
Dipankar Pal’s father Dilip Pal came to the station and requested his son’s release. The SI told
him to return the next day. Meanwhile, Dipankar Pal was detained in the lock-up and was not
produced before a court.
On 11 July 2007, Dipankar Pal paid the SI Rs. 80 as a fine, and the SI released him from lockup.
The SI collected his signature on a paper and told other officers to book Dipankar Pal in a
petty case. The SI told Dipankar Pal to return after two days.
On 13 July 2007, the SI asked Dipankar Pal to bring Biplap Chatterjee to the station in order to
prove his own innocence, promising to reimburse Dipankar Pal’s Rs. 80 if he did so. Dipankar
Pal protested that he could not do so.
On leaving the station, Dipankar Pal visited the Secretary of the Gold Manufacturers’ Association
in Bowbazar, Kolkata, and explained the incidents in detail. Both of them went to the Muchipara
PS. There, the Secretary conversed privately with the SI. The SI insisted again that Dipankar
Pal appear at the station on 15 July 2007, but the Secretary advised Dipankar Pal not to comply.
Dipankar Pal lives in fear, and has been unable to return to work out of fear of police harassment.
West Bengal
57
Annual Report on Torture
2007