BSF in West Bengal 'continuing to target, torture' minorities in border villages

Injury marks
Counterview Desk
In a letter to the National Human Rights Commission chairman, Kirity Roy, secretary, Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM) and national convenor, Programme Against Custodial Torture & Impunity ((PACTI), Hooghly, West Bengal, highlighting the cases of “brutal torture” of a Muslim youth by two Border Security Force (BSF) constables, has said that this is not the first case of “arbitrariness of the violence committed on the victims” against a particular section of society on the basis on religion.”
The letter regrets, despite the fact that he was set free finding all the documents in his possession in order, the police registered no FIR against the constables, who were responsible for “gravely injuring” this person.

Text:

I am writing to you regarding a case of brutal torture upon a youth from the Muslim community by two constables of the Border Security Force and one G branch officer, all are on duty, attached with Hakimpur Border Out Post, ‘F’ Company, 112 Battalion.
The victim and his family reside in Daharkanda village, Swarupnagar Block and police station in the district of North 24 Parganas. When the victim was going to Swarupdaha market via Kamarpota, the BSF personnel apprehended him with silver.
They beat him repeatedly with thick cable wire, gravely injuring him on back and leg and bruise mark arose from the injured part of his body. About seven hours the victim was in the custody of the BSF and he was continuously tortured by the BSF.
After that the victim was handed over to the customs department who released the victim after checking his all documents. No case was made against him. He was treated in the Sarapul Rural Hospital. On February 27, 2022 the victim filed a written complaint to the Superintendent of Police, Basirhat Police District but till date, no FIR has been lodged against the perpetrators.
This incident is among a spate of other incidents of torture, physical assault, illegal detention and extrajudicial killings upon marginalized communities, specifically on the Muslim minority community. The arbitrariness of the violence committed on the victims is evidence that the violence is motivated by an intention to discriminate against and target a particular section of society on the basis on religion.
The incident entails a clear violation of Article 14, 19 and 21 of the Constitution of India. The Police have violated the Supreme Court Guidelines in the Lalita Kumari Judgment which makes it mandatory for them to lodge a FIR in cases of cognizable offences.
The incident also violates the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 7 and 12(1) International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights that India is party to. The incident and subsequent impunity legitimize our long-standing demand for immediate ratification of United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment and Punishment.
Therefore, I seek your urgent intervention in the case by fulfilling the following demands:

On duty BSF should be posted at the international border, through IBP, not in villages.
The whole matter must be enquired into by one independent inquiring agency.
Immediately register the written complaint of the victim to the as First Information Report and proper investigation must be required.
Concerned police authorities must be directed to take immediate action for proper investigation of the case.
Mr Jayprasad, ‘G’ branch officer and two other BSF constables (Mr Debanan Jha and Mr Rakesh) who are accused of committing the crime in their custody should be immediately brought under trial and prosecuted.
The victim should be compensated for the grave injuries inflicted on him.
The BSF should be stationed at the zero point and not inside villages.
Security and safety of the victim and his family members must be ensured.

Comments

Gujarat Information Commission issues warning against misinterpretation of RTI orders

By A Representative The Gujarat Information Commission (GIC) has issued a press note clarifying that its orders limiting the number of Right to Information (RTI) applications for certain individuals apply only to those specific applicants. The GIC has warned that it will take disciplinary action against any public officials who misinterpret these orders to deny information to other citizens. The press note, signed by GIC Secretary Jaideep Dwivedi, states that the Right to Information Act, 2005, is a powerful tool for promoting transparency and accountability in public administration. However, the commission has observed that some applicants are misusing the act by filing an excessive number of applications, which disproportionately consumes the time and resources of Public Information Officers (PIOs), First Appellate Authorities (FAAs), and the commission itself. This misuse can cause delays for genuine applicants seeking justice. In response to this issue, and in acc...

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor* This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

'MGNREGA crisis deepening': NSM demands fair wages and end to digital exclusions

By A Representative The NREGA Sangharsh Morcha (NSM), a coalition of independent unions of MGNREGA workers, has warned that the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) is facing a “severe crisis” due to persistent neglect and restrictive measures imposed by the Union Government.

Gandhiji quoted as saying his anti-untouchability view has little space for inter-dining with "lower" castes

By A Representative A senior activist close to Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) leader Medha Patkar has defended top Booker prize winning novelist Arundhati Roy’s controversial utterance on Gandhiji that “his doctrine of nonviolence was based on an acceptance of the most brutal social hierarchy the world has ever known, the caste system.” Surprised at the police seeking video footage and transcript of Roy’s Mahatma Ayyankali memorial lecture at the Kerala University on July 17, Nandini K Oza in a recent blog quotes from available sources to “prove” that Gandhiji indeed believed in “removal of untouchability within the caste system.”

Targeted eviction of Bengali-speaking Muslims across Assam districts alleged

By A Representative A delegation led by prominent academic and civil rights leader Sandeep Pandey visited three districts in Assam—Goalpara, Dhubri, and Lakhimpur—between 2 and 4 September 2025 to meet families affected by recent demolitions and evictions. The delegation reported widespread displacement of Bengali-speaking Muslim communities, many of whom possess valid citizenship documents including Aadhaar, voter ID, ration cards, PAN cards, and NRC certification.

'Centre criminally negligent': SKM demands national disaster declaration in flood-hit states

By A Representative The Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) has urged the Centre to immediately declare the recent floods and landslides in Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand, and Haryana as a national disaster, warning that the delay in doing so has deepened the suffering of the affected population.

Saffron Kingdom – a cinematic counter-narrative to The Kashmir Files

By Syed Ali Mujtaba* “Saffron Kingdom” is a film produced in the United States by members of the Kashmiri diaspora, positioned as a response to the 2022 release “The Kashmir Files.” While the latter focused on the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits and framed Kashmiri Muslims as perpetrators of violence, “Saffron Kingdom” seeks to present an alternate perspective—highlighting the experiences of Kashmiri Muslims facing alleged abuses by Indian security forces.

'Govts must walk the talk on gender equality, right to health, human rights to deliver SDGs by 2030'

By A Representative With just 64 months left to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), global health and rights advocates have called upon governments to honour their commitments on gender equality and the human right to health. Speaking ahead of the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), experts warned that rising anti-rights and anti-gender pushes are threatening hard-won progress on SDG-3 (health and wellbeing) and SDG-5 (gender equality).

From lazy to lost? The myths and realities behind generational panic about youth

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak Older generations in many societies often describe the young with labels such as “lazy, unproductive, lost, anxious, depoliticised, unpatriotic or wayward.” Others see them as “social media, mobile phone and porn addicts.” Such judgments arise from a generational anxiety rooted in fears of losing control and from distorted perceptions about youth, especially in the context of economic crises, conflicts, and wars in which many young lives are lost.

Counterview

Search This Blog