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

On 6 March 2007 at 6.30pm, SI S.K. Mukharjee came to the hospital to record Sima Sardar’s
statement. In pain, Sima Sardar could not give a statement, so the SI said that he would record
her statement after she recovered. However, the SI never returned.
When Tarak Nath Das later asked the SI about the criminal proceedings against Surajit Sardar,
the SI replied that he had arrested Surajit Sardar on 5 March 2007 but released him the next day.
On 8 March 2007, Sima Sardar was discharged. She went to the Ultadanga PS with Tarak
Nath Das. There, the SI told Tarak Nath Das to call Surajit and Rita Sardar to the station. When
they arrived, the SI behaved very roughly with Sima Sardar and asked her to sign a paper on
which was written “Sima is going to her father’s house to recover her health.” The SI kept this
paper in his custody.
West Bengal
FF Code : W.B./MON(Murari Dey)/
Hoogly/Oct-22/10/07/SLNO–56
Victim(s) : Uttara Das
Perpetrator(s) : Officer-in-Charge, Chanditala PS
Location : Residence of Bimal Das.
Date of incident : 30/07/2007
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Case Details:
On 30 July 2007, at 4.30pm, victim Uttara Das, age 14, was returning to her house in
Joykrishnapore Village after school. On Das’ way home, one of her relatives called her to his
house and locked her in a room. The relative raped Das. While raping her, the relative covered
Das’ mouth with his hand to silence her screams. The relative threatened to kill Das if she told
anyone about the rape. The relative has strong ties with several political parties and he is an
influential man in the village.
A week later, Das told her father about the rape. When Das’ father confronted the relative, the
relative beat him.
Das lodged a complaint with the Chanditala PS. The police did not take any action in response
to the complaint. On 9 September 2007, Das’ father lodged a complaint with the Officer-in-
Charge of the Chanditala PS. The police did not take any subsequent action. On 8 October
2007, the Chanditala PS Officer-in-Charge, made Das’ father sign a blank piece of paper.
Since the rape, the relative has continuously threatened Das and her family with death.
The Manabbadi Samaj has informed the West Bengal Commission for Women about the case,
but no action has been taken. Das also lodged a complaint with the Torture Victim Support
Forum on 12 October 2007.
Annual Report on Torture
2007