Skip to main content

Compensate women 'tortured, hit' by BSF personnel off B'desh border: Pleas to NHRC

By Our Representative 
Making two separate complaints to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) chairman, a senior civil rights leader has said that the security forces stationed near the Bangladesh border in West Bengal have "harassed, insulted and tortured" Muslim women Serina Bibi and Rabiya Bibi.
In the first case, Kirity Roy said, Border Security Force (BSF) personnel attached with the Bithari Border Out Post, 112 Battalion, the woman, Serina Bibi, was touched inappropriately, detained unnecessarily in the name of searching, forcibly removing all her clothes, and making her complete naked and assaulting her physically.
Roy is secretary, Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM), and national convenor, Programme Against Custodial Torture & Impunity (PACTI).
Serina Bibi is a house wife and belongs to a poor marginalized Muslim community, residing at the bordering village of Hakimpur (Uttarpara) under Swarupnagar Block and Police Station in the district of North 24 Parganas". The incident took place on April 29.
According to Roy, two female BSF constables were present "at the time of making her fully naked", adding, "They touched the private parts of the body of the victim and hit with the sticks in different organs of her body in the name of checking which is extremely insulting and shameful for any woman."
In the second incident, which took place on April 30, Roy said, a BSF personnel associated with ‘G’ branch of 112 Battalion, Bithari BSF Border Outpost in Dharkanda village of Swarupnagar Police station area in North 24 Parganas district, Rabiya Bibi, a poor housewife who lives on the meagre income of her husband, who is a daily agricultural labourer, stopped Rabiya Bibi on the road and started physically torturing her.
Roy said, the BSF personnel "did not pay heed to the repeated pleas of the victim that she was fasting for Roza and therefore was physically weak", alleging, "The perpetrator slapped and punched her and later started beating her with sticks."
"The torturous acts of the BSF critically injured the victim on her face and forehead and she was admitted to the Sarapul rural hospital for treatment", Roy said, regretting, while in both the cases the victims had lodged written complaints to the Superintendent of Police, no action has been taken against the perpetrators till date.
Incidents legitimize demand to ratify of UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment and Punishment
According to Roy, the incidents violate the rights guaranteed in Article 19 and 21 of Indian Constitution and also the premise of Article 6, 7 and 9 of International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights as well as the Goal No 16 of Sustainable Development Goal earmarked by United Nations, as in both these international instruments the government of India is a party and have agreement.
He believed, the victims were confined wrongfully by the perpetrators which attracts section 342 of the Indian Penal Code. The subsequent police inaction also violates the Supreme Court's guidelines in Lalita Kumari vs. State of UP [W.P.(Crl) No; 68/2008] case, which clearly states that registration of First Information Report is mandatory under Section 154 of the Code of Criminal Procedure if the information discloses commission of a cognizable offence.
Asserted Roy, the incidents 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".
He urged the NHRC chairman to hold "independent inquiry" into both the cases, ensuring that BSF "should be stationed at the zero point of the border and not inside villages", the perpetrators "should be tried and prosecuted", and the victim should be "adequately compensated."

Comments

TRENDING

Importance of Bangladesh for India amidst 'growing might' of China in South Asia

By Samara Ashrat*  The basic key factor behind the geopolitical importance of Bangladesh is its geographical location. The country shares land borders with Myanmar and India. Due to its geographical position, Bangladesh is a natural link between South Asia and Southeast Asia.  The country is also a vital geopolitical ally to India, in that it has the potential to facilitate greater integration between Northeast India and Mainland India. Not only that, due to its open access to the Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh has become significant to both China and the US.

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.

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".

'BBC film shows only tip of iceberg': Sanjiv Bhatt's daughter speaks at top US press club

By Our Representative   The United States' premier journalists' organisation, the National Press Club (NPC), has come down heavily on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for recent "attacks on journalists in India." Speaking at the screening of an episode of the BBC documentary “India: The Modi Question,” banned in India, in the club premises, NPC President Eileen O’Reilly said, “Since Modi came to power we have watched with frustration and disappointment as his regime has suppressed the rights of its citizens to a free and independent news media."

Regional political dynamics 'leading to' institutional violence in SAARC University

By Sandeep Pandey*  South Asian University is a university set up in Delhi by member countries of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation – India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, Afghanistan and Maldives – which is open to students from all these countries. However, as SAARC is receiving little attention these days because of regional political dynamics, it appears as if SAU has lost significance too. Because of the hiatus in peace process between India and Pakistan, the Board of Governors of this University is dysfunctional.

Natural farming: Hamirpur leads the way to 'huge improvement' in nutrition, livelihood

By Bharat Dogra*  Santosh is a dedicated farmer who along with his wife Chunni Devi worked very hard in recent months to convert a small patch of unproductive land into a lush green, multi-layer vegetable garden. This has ensured year-round supply of organically grown vegetables to his family as well as fetched several thousand rupees in cash sales.

Over-stressed? As Naveen Patnaik turns frail, Odisha 'moves closer' to leadership crisis

By Sudhansu R Das  Not a single leader in Odisha is visible in the horizon who can replace Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. He has ruled Odisha for nearly two and half decades. His father, Biju Patnaik, had built Odisha; he was a daring pilot who saved the life of Indonesia’s Prime Minister Sjahrir and President Sukarno when the Dutch army blocked their exit.

Hillary Clinton, Al Gore, Ban Ki-moon, others ask Bangladesh PM to 'protect' Yunus

Counterview Desk  A campaign has been launched to support Bangladesh-based economist, micro-finance guru and Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, seeking signatures from citizens across the globe in order to “protect” his work, life and safety.

Electricity sharing opens up new window for India’s eastern neighbourhood engagement

By Sufian Asif* Today, challenges like climate change, pandemics, energy reliance, economic crisis, and many more are concerning us. No nation can overcome these obstacles without the assistance and collaboration of other nations. Most importantly, many of these problems have international repercussions. South Asia is facing much more difficulty when compared to other regions. In South Asia, we have some regional organizations, but they are ineffective.

'Vulgar display of wealth': Govt of India using G20 presidency for political, electoral gains

Counterview Desk  Seeking endorsement for a public statement on India's G20 Presidency, several people’s movements, trade unions and other civil society groups have come together to say that not only will G20 and its priorities “will worsen economic, social and climate crisis”, already, India’s presidency is being used “for vulgar display of pomp & for electoral gains.”