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INFO BY COUNTRY / INDIA / WEST BENGAL
ACHR Index: IND/WB/06/03
18 August 2003

Mr. Justice A S Anand
Chairman
National Human Rights Commission
Sardar Patel Bhawan
Parliament Street
New Delhi-110001

Subject: Complaint against tortured to death of 55-year-old Farman Ali of Bahirkap village under Malda district of West Bengal on 3 August 2003.

Dear Justice Anand,

I am writing to seek the intervention of the National Human Rights Commission against the tortured to death of 55-year-old, Farman Ali of Bahirkap village under Malda district of West Bengal on 3 August 2003.

The police barged into the house of Mr Farman Ali on 2 August 2003 and without saying anything started dragging him out of the house. When his sons wanted to know his crime, they started beating them up too. According to Mr Yousuf Ali, son of Farman Ali, officer- in- charge of Ratua police station, Mr Tapan Aditya mercilessly punched his father in the face and chest continuously. Mr Aditya ignored Farman Ali's cries, telling him that he was not feeling well. When Farman Ali collapsed, the police called a quack to see what had happened to him. After hearing the cries of Mr Ali's children, villagers assembled and gheraoed the police.

The police were kept locked up in a room all night long. But, the agitated residents did not resort to any violence. The jeep and the police vans were not touched. The police were released only after Aditya promised to give the family monetary compensation. The villagers allowed the body to be sent for postmortem to Malda Subdivisional Hospital.

I shall be grateful if the NHRC could kindly intervene by taking the following measures:

-         Direct the State government of West Bengal to order a judicial inquiry into the tortured to death of Mr Farman Ali and submit it to the NHRC within four weeks;

-         Direct the State government of West Bengal to suspend officer- in- charge of Ratua police station, Mr Tapan Aditya and other police personnel who were accompanying Mr Aditya;

-         Direct the State government of West Bengal to submit the post mortem report which should have been conducted in conformity with the guidelines of the NHRC within four weeks;

-         Direct the State government of West Bengal to pay interim compensation of Rs 500,000 (five lakhs) to the relatives of the victim and that the same be recovered from the guilty police personnel; and

-         Take any other measures that the NHRC deems fit.

With kind regards,

Yours sincerely

 

Suhas Chakma
Director


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