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

On 27 th January 2007 the Victims, Jhuma Santra, Saraswati Maitra, Madhabi Maitra, Kalpana
Bag, reported about the entire matter to the fact finding team of MASUM, that the said police party
threatened them and other female folks on the date of incident to sexually abuse them and forcibly
kidnap them at night and remove their skin if they dared to attend any protest meeting. They also
abused the women villagers filthily calling them as ‘prostitutes’. The purpose of the police was to
terrorize the people so that the women dared not to attend the protest meeting.
The local people lodged a complaint over that issue to higher administration including the SP of
the concerned district but no visible result was noticed so far
Case Details:
FF Code : W.B./MON(Jinnat Ali Molla)/
Murshidabad/Oct-16/10/2007/Sl.No.-121.
Victim(s) : 1) Maina Bibi; 2) Chhakat Ali Biswas
Perpetrator(s) : 1) Ramesh Singh, SI, BSF Battalion No.
90, ‘G’ Company, Murshidabad, West
Bengal; 2) two other unnamed BSF
officers
Location : On the banks of the Padma River,
Dayarampur village, Murshidabad, West
Bengal
Date of incident : 21/09/2007
Victim Maina Bibi, age 32, is married to victim Chhakat Ali Biswas, age 36.
On 21 September 2007 at 8.00pm, Maina Bibi went to answer nature’s call on the bank of the
Padma River. Chhakat Ali Biswas stood at a distance.
Suddenly, two BSF personnel, who were guarding the area, flashed their torch lights
repeatedly at Maina Bibi. Chhakat Ali Biswas told them to stop, but the officers ignored him
and repeatedly flashed their lights at and insulted them.
BSF SI Ramesh Singh came to Maina Bibi’s house with a PC, entered her room without
asking, and enquired about the incident. After listening to Chhakat Ali Biswas, the SI became
annoyed with the couple. He insulted them and slapped Chhakat Ali Biswas without provocation.
On 22 September 2007, Chhakat Ali Biswas went to Jalangi PS and lodged a General Diary
Entry.
The SI has stated that when people answer nature’s call on the riverbanks it is disturbing for the
BSF personnel who have to guard the area. The SI denied the aforementioned incident, and
refused to reveal the name of the two BSF officers involved.
West Bengal
203
Annual Report on Torture
2007