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

FF Code : W.B./ MON (Susmita Roy Choudhury)/
24 PGS(S)/ June-13/06/2007/Sl.No.-59
Victim(s) : Sima Sengupta
Perpetrator(s) : POs Jadavpur PS
Location : Vivekananda Vidyapith, Ramkrishna
Upanibesh, Sulekha, Jadavpur, Kolkata –92
Date of incident : 05/05/2007
West Bengal
Case Details:
192
Victim Sima Sengupta, age 42, is the headmistress of Vivekanada Vidyapith School in Jadavpur,
Calcutta. The school is controlled by the local C.P.I. (M) party.
When Sengupta expressed a desire to run the school in an independent manner, the C.P.I. (M)
party ensured that one of their supporters was elected as the school’s secretary. This secretary
constantly harassed Sengupta about the way she was running the school. Additionally, the
secretary and his associates molested some of the female students, which Sengupta protested
against. In response to her protests, Sengupta was denied her salary for three months.
On 5 May 2007, Sengupta received information that the secretary and his associates were
planning on creating some trouble. Sengupta requested a police presence from the Jadavpur
PS at the school, but the police refused, telling Sengupta that her information was wrong. The
secretary and his associated proceeded to attack Sengupta, some teachers, and the students.
They confined the students and teachers into rooms and beat them. They also used degrading
and filthy language towards the students and the teachers, and ransacked and plundered the
school.
Annual Report on Torture
2007
When the police eventually arrived, they did not make any arrests. After being pressured by
students and locals, the police registered a case but took no follow-up action. The attackers
were supported by the ruling CPI (M) party.