One DALIT youth thrashed and beaten by BSF, IMPUNITY exist
Kirity Roy
18 November 2021
To
The Chairperson
National Human Rights Commission
Manav Adhikar Bhawan
Block- C, GPO Complex, INA
New Delhi- 110023
Respected Sir,
Here I want to draw your attention towards the incident of brutal torture by the Border Security Force personnel attached with Khagribari BSF Border Outpost, Battalion no. 169, on an innocent marginalised Scheduled Caste (Dalit) person from Satgram Manabari village of Mathabhanga-I Block and Mathabhanga police station area of Cooch Behar district in West Bengal. The perpetrator identified as one Biswajit Prokash, Constable attached with the said BOP lodged an unprovoked attack upon the victim and injured him severely.
Mr. Sarada Barman, the victim was severely injured and taken to the Mathabhanga Sub-Divisional Hospital. The victim lodged a complaint to the Superintendant of Police, Cooch Behar and informed about the incident of torture on 05.10.21 via registered post. However, the complaint was not acknowledged and no action was taken by the Cooch Behar police.
The incident violates the rights guaranteed in Article 19 and 21 of Indian Constitution and also the premise of Article 7 and 12 of International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights as well as the Goal No. 8 and 16 of the Sustainable Development Goal earmarked by United Nations and in both these international instruments; the government of India is a party and have agreement.
Under the circumstances we demand:
- BSF should be posted in actual borders and not inside villages
- The whole incident must be investigated by a neutral agency appointed by the commission
- The guilty Border Security Force personnel involved must be booked and prosecuted
- Security and safety of the victim must be protected.
Thanking You,
Yours sincerely
Kirity Roy
Secretary, MASUM
Details of the victim –
- Mr. Sarada Barman, son of Mr. Tarakanta Barman, Age - 41 Years, Village – Satgram Manabari, P.S. – Mathabhanga, Cooch Behar, West Bengal
Details of secondary victims –
1. Mr. Sarada Barman, son of Mr. Tarakanta Barman, Age - 41 Years, Village – Satgram Manabari, P.S. – Mathabhanga, Cooch Behar, West Bengal
2. Mrs. Kabita Barman, wife of Mr. Sarada Barman, Age - 25 Years, Village – Satgram Manabari, P.S. – Mathabhanga, Cooch Behar, West Bengal
3. Mr. Karan Barman, son of Mr. Sarada Barman, Age - 14 Years, Village – Satgram Manabari, P.S. – Mathabhanga, Cooch Behar, West Bengal
4. Mr. Samir Barman, son of Mr. Sarada Barman, Age - 6 Years, Village – Satgram Manabari, P.S. – Mathabhanga, Cooch Behar, West Bengal
5. Mr. Tarakanta Barman, father of Mr. Sarada Barman, Age - 80 Years, Village – Satgram Manabari, P.S. – Mathabhanga, Cooch Behar, West Bengal
6. Mrs. Anyabala Barman, wife of Mr. Tarakanta Barman, Age - 65 Years, Village – Satgram Manabari, P.S. – Mathabhanga, Cooch Behar, West Bengal
Details of the perpetrators –
1. Biswajit Prakash, Constable attached with Khagribari BSF BOP, 169 Battalion, under Mathabhanga Police Station, Cooch Behar District.
Date, time and place of the incident – 24.09.2021, around 7:30 pm, at Mr. Sarada Barman’s courtyard near Khagribari BSF camp.
Details of the incident – Mr. Sarada Barman, a mason by
profession sustains a family of 7 from the meagre income earned by working as a
mason. His house is located near the Khagribari BSF camp. On 24.09.2021 at
around 7:30 pm he along with his wife and younger son was spending time in his
own courtyard. At that moment few BSF personnel posted near the fencing fixated
torch lights on them. Mr. Barman, from his courtyard, asked them why were they
throwing lights at them since they are standing within the courtyard of their
house. He also asked them to put off the lights from them. Soon a BSF Constable,
identified as one Biswajit Prakash, came to Mr. Barman’s courtyard in a
motorcycle and started beating Mr. Sarada Barman all of a sudden with his
baton. Mr. Barman was brutally beaten up on his forehead, ears, back, waist and
fingers by Prakash and suffered critical injuries. The perpetrator then pushed
Mr. Sarada Barman in a pond beside his courtyard and flew from the spot in his
motorbike. As Mr. Barman screamed in pain, few neighbours came to the spot and
recovered Mr. Barman from inside the pond. He was subsequently admitted to the
Mathabhanga Sub-divisional Hospital for treatment. Even after his release from
the hospital, Mr. Barman is suffering from ailment, in particular back and
fingers, due to the torture of the BSF.
Mr. Nalini Ranjan Roy, a neighbour of Mr. Barman informed that it is a regular practice of the BSF to spot torchlights at the women of the village, whenever they are seen after dark. Since Mr. Sarada Barman’s wife was present in the courtyard, the BSF was throwing lights on her, which Mr. Barman protested and suffered the consequences of.
Despite lodging a complaint to the Superintendent of Police, Cooch Behar on the incident on 05.10.21 via registered post, no action has been taken against the perpetrator yet.
--
Secretary
Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha
(MASUM)
&
National Convenor (PACTI)
Programme Against Custodial Torture & Impunity
40A, Barabagan Lane (4th Floor)
Balaji Place
Shibtala
Srirampur
Hooghly
PIN- 712203
Tele-Fax - +91-33-26220843
Phone- +91-33-26220845
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