Skip to main content

West Bengal border area woman 'assaulted', relatives, villagers maltreated: NHRC told

Counterview Desk 

In a representation to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), human rights defender Kirity Roy, secretary, Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha, and national convenor, Programme Against Custodial Torture and Impunity, has said that a minority community woman from a border area village was "assaulted and molested" after Border Security Force (BSF) personnel "illegally" banged into her house.
Taking strong exception to police inaction despite complaint, Roy said, her family members and other villagers who tried to intervene were also maltreated. "The BSF personnel prevented the ambulance from reaching her residence for nearly 4 hours. This is an act of criminal conspiracy with the only motive being to prevent the injured from seeking treatment", he added.

Text:

With deep concerns, we would like to inform you about an incident of molestation and torture perpetrated upon a woman after trespassing into her residence by serving BSF (Border Security Force) personnel.
Name of the victim: Mrs. Kohinoor Bibi, 35 years, wife of Mr. Sirajul Hoque, Muslim, village Vorum Payasthi, Morakuthi, Block Dinhata 1, Panchayet Gitaldaha ll, PS Dinhata, District Cooch Behar, West Bengal. Profession Household activities. Aadhar Card No. 725050415375 and many others.
Date, time and place of occurrence: On 10 October 2023 from 7 am onwards at victims’ house and at village road.
Name of the perpetrators: Under the leadership of Mr. Pappu Meena, Coy Commander of Gitaldaha BOP, 90 BN BSF a group of 40/50 armed forces.
Violation of rights: Rights enshrined in Indian Constitution, International Laws, domestic criminal laws.
Fact of the case: Mrs Kohinoor Bibi, a resident of Voram Payasthi Morakuthi village in Gitaldaha gram panchayat of Coochbehar district of West Bengal faced the ordeal on 10/10/2023 at around 7 AM. 40-50 male BSF personnel led by Assistant Company Commander Mr. Pappu Meena criminally trespassed into her property on that date and time and assaulted Mrs Bibi with the sticks, fists and blows they were carrying. They also molested Mrs Bibi and touched her inappropriately intending to outrage her modesty. Finally, she felt unconscious after suffering a powerful blow to her chest. Visible marks of blood clots can be observed on her, conveying the nature of the assault. The perpetrators also attacked, ransacked other 20/25 villagers and assaulted their family members.
When Mrs Kohinoor was facing such torture, her sister-in-law tried to intervene and she also was attacked with sticks. Meanwhile, the neighbours got to know about the situation at hand from cries for help and tried to reason with the BSF personnel to leave the premises of the house. The personnel rained blows with their sticks on the women who tried to rescue them. The women had to bear the humiliation of being called names and some suffered injuries owing to the assault.
Mrs Kohinoor Bibi was writhing in pain and the neighbours decided to call an ambulance to take her to a nearby medical facility. Then also, the BSF personnel prevented the ambulance from reaching her residence for nearly 4 hours. This is an act of criminal conspiracy with the only motive being to prevent the injured women from seeking treatment, which especially put the life of Mrs Bibi in grave danger owing to the nature of her injuries. They only let Mrs Bibi and the other women leave for a medical facility in the ambulance after the intervention of the Dinhata Police Station, which has jurisdiction over the concerned area. The other women were discharged after administering first aid and necessary medical treatment.
Mrs Bibi had to be admitted to the Dinhata Sub Divisional Hospital owing to the seriousness of the degree of injuries. It must also be noted that she was recuperating from a gallbladder surgery, operated at Divine Nursing Home, Saradapally, Dinhata in mid-May 2023 and hence was already in a vulnerable state. On 10th October many of the victims were treated at Dinhata hospital vide registration no. 42436.
The Dinhata Police Station has received a written complaint (the receipted copy and other relevant documents have been attached) but no notable action has been taken against the perpetrators to date.
We would urge you and your office to take immediate cognizance of the matter and conduct a speedy and impartial enquiry by Your investigating wing. We demand strong action against the perpetrators and especially against the Assistant Company Commander, Mr. Pappu Meena which should set a precedence in the future.
We urge you and your Commission to also compensate Mrs Kohinur Bibi and other women who have faced torture at the hands of BSF personnel and direct the concerned authorities to provide protection to the victims so that they can testify against the perpetrators without any fear of retribution in open court of law. All possible medical assistance should be provided to Mrs Bibi and other victims by the relevant authorities.
Lastly, we demand proper steps to be taken against the Inspector in Charge of Dinhata Police Station for not taking due recourse against the offenders even police received written complaint disclosing cognizable offenses, police received injury reports of the victims from the hospital, and more so, Dinhata Police reached the venue with car when BSF barricaded the road to stop the movement of ambulance for carrying the injured victims.
Thanking you, in anticipation of a favourable response from your end.

Comments

TRENDING

Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan raises concerns over Jharkhand Adivasis' plight in Assam, BJP policies

By Our Representative  The Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan (Save Democracy Campaign) has issued a pressing call to protect Adivasi rights in Jharkhand, highlighting serious concerns over the treatment of Jharkhandi Adivasis in Assam. During a press conference in Ranchi on November 9, representatives from Assam, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh criticized the current approach of BJP-led governments in these states, arguing it has exacerbated Adivasi struggles for rights, land, and cultural preservation.

Promoting love or instilling hate and fear: Why is RSS seeking a meeting with Rahul Gandhi?

By Ram Puniyani*  India's anti-colonial struggle was marked by a diverse range of social movements, one of the most significant being Hindu-Muslim unity and the emergence of a unified Indian identity among people of all religions. The nationalist, anti-colonial movement championed this unity, best embodied by Mahatma Gandhi, who ultimately gave his life for this cause. Gandhi once wrote, “The union that we want is not a patched-up thing but a union of hearts... Swaraj (self-rule) for India must be an impossible dream without an indissoluble union between the Hindus and Muslims of India. It must not be a mere truce... It must be a partnership between equals, each respecting the religion of the other.”

A Marxist intellectual who dwelt into complex areas of the Indian socio-political landscape

By Harsh Thakor*  Professor Manoranjan Mohanty has been a dedicated advocate for human rights over five decades. His work as a scholar and activist has supported revolutionary democratic movements, navigating complex areas of the Indian socio-political landscape. His balanced, non-partisan approach to human rights and social justice has made his books essential resources for advocates of democracy.

Four J&K MLAs visit Wular lake, pledge support to fisher community, environmental conservation

By Shamim Ahmed*   In a historic meeting that highlighted both environmental and social concerns, four Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) visited Wular Lake to meet with the fisherfolk community, signaling a significant step in addressing their longstanding issues. This gathering, organized with the support of dedicated advocates, marks a strengthening of efforts to both safeguard the lake’s ecosystem and support the community’s welfare.

Supreme Court’s dismissal of PIL on Covid vaccine safety is counter to known science and mathematics

By Bhaskaran Raman*  On 14 Oct 2024, the Supreme Court of India dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on the side-effects of the Covid vaccine. In 2021, the world saw the rollout of various Covid vaccine candidates. In India, Bharat Biotech’s Covaxin and Serum Institute of India’s Covishield were rolled out. Covishield was nothing but Oxford’s AstraZeneca relabelled in India. The importance of open-minded and scientific probe of Covid vaccine safety In 2020/2021, all Covid vaccines were authorized for emergency use, which meant that the necessary efficacy and safety follow-up was incomplete at that time. The originally approved trials – called randomised controlled trials (RCT) had a “vaccine” group and a “placebo” group for comparison. Such experimental comparison/control is the cornerstone of the scientific method – which even children learn in photosynthesis experiments in class-1. The vaccine trials were scheduled to conclude in late 2022/early 2023. For instance, Covax...

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah  The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual. 

Right-arm fast bowler who helped West Indies shape arguably greatest Test team in cricket history

By Harsh Thakor*  Malcolm Marshall redefined what it meant to be a right-arm fast bowler, challenging the traditional laws of biomechanics with his unique skill. As we remember his 25th death anniversary on November 4th, we reflect on the legacy he left behind after his untimely death from colon cancer. For a significant part of his career, Marshall was considered one of the fastest and most formidable bowlers in the world, helping to shape the West Indies into arguably the greatest Test team in cricket history.

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Our Representative Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

Will Left victory in Sri Lanka deliver economic sovereignty plan, go beyond 'tired' IMF agenda?

By Atul Chandra, Vijay Prashad*  On September 22, 2024, the Sri Lankan election authority announced that Anura Kumara Dissanayake of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-led National People’s Power (NPP) alliance won the presidential election. Dissanayake, who has been the leader of the left-wing JVP since 2014, defeated 37 other candidates, including the incumbent president Ranil Wickremesinghe of the United National Party (UNP) and his closest challenger Sajith Premadasa of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya.