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

FF Code : W.B./ MON (Murari Dey)/Hooghly/
June-09/06/2007/Sl.No.-33
Victim(s) : Panchanan Karmakar
Perpetrator(s) : 1) POs Chanditala PS; 2) District Magistrate
of Hooghly; 3) SP of Hooghly;
4) Sub Divisional Police Officer of Hooghly
Location : Chanditala PS, Hooghly District, West Bengal
Date of incident : 01/06/2007
Case Details:
Victim Karmakar is a well-known construction worker in the Mukundapur area. A few years
ago, he donated approximately nine satak of land for the establishment of a primary school.
Karmakar lived with his family on his remaining twenty-six satak of land.
Karmakar filed a civil suit before the First Civil Judge, Junior Division, Serampore, Hooghly
(case number 149/06), claiming that uninvited individuals were trying to make a passage for
their own use through his land. On 30 April 2007, the judge granted a temporary injunction,
which the perpetrators have since violated.
Furthermore, the perpetrators threatened to kill Karmakar’s and his family if Karmarkar did not
withdraw the civil suit. Additionally, the perpetrators blasted bombs in front of Karmakars’s
house, broke his bamboo fence, cut his trees, and stole fish from his pond. Despite these
actions, Karmakar refused to withdraw the suit.
Karmakar sought protection from the perpetrators by lodging several complaints with the
Chanditala PS. However, the police did not take any action against the perpetrators and failed to
provide protection to Karmakar and his family.
Emboldened by the police inaction, the perpetrators disrupted the water supply to Karmakar’s
land, disrupting Karmakar’s ability to cultivate the land. As a result, Karmakar incurred a huge
economic loss and was essentially deprived of his livelihood.
On 1 June 2007, Karmakar lodged several complaints with the District Magistrate of Hooghly,
the SP of Hooghly, and the Sub Divisional Police Officer of Hooghly. However, no subsequent
action has been taken.
West Bengal
127
Annual Report on Torture
2007