Custodial death of accused-witness in WB violance 'serious lapse' in police system

By Kirity Roy*
The prime accused of the Bogtui massacre in Birbhum died in CBI custody on December 12. His body was found hanging in the CBI camp washroom at Rampurhat. This sudden incident in the Bogtui case hints towards a possible conspiracy on the part of the investigating authority.
Lalon Sheikh was one of prime accused and a witness in the horrendous massacre at Bogtui village, near Rampurhat of Birbhum district in West Bengal, which took place on March 21, 2022. To suppress all the kingpins of the racket of trafficking and money laundering cases, where many leaders of political parties, law enforcing agencies are involved, the victim's voice was throttled, I apprehend. This is not the first of its kind incident. The cases of "suicides" in custody have happened several times in the past.

The death of Lalon in custody not only points toward possible violation, it will also weaken the case against many high-profile accused in the case. These cases of suicides particularly in the high-profile criminal cases raises a number of questions and demands on the criminal justice system in India:
1. The section 176(1) of CrPC specifies the procedure in case of custodial deaths. The police of West Bengal have seemed to be ignoring the section as a whole. But the current case was in the hands of the CBI. We demand that the CBI and the local administration must adhere to the legal provisions in the cases of custodial deaths.

2. Though the incident occurred in the custody of CBI, it was the Kolkata High Court, which passed the case to CBI in an exceptional way. Thus, in case of any violation the Court too should be held liable, and necessary steps must be taken. Unnatural death in judicial custody should be investigated thoroughly and independently.
3. In India, the implementation of the Minnesota Protocol and Istanbul Protocol is scarce. Necessary steps should be taken for the implementation of the same during the Post-mortem examination of the bodies in case of custodial deaths.

4. Investigating authority should abide by the specific guidelines of NHRC in the cases of custodial deaths and the judicial bodies should pressurize the investigating authorities to do so.
This kind of incident points towards a serious lapse in the policing system in India. Initiative should be taken for police reforms to be undertaken in accordance with the judgment of Prakash Singh case.
These are the questions which are in immediate need to be answered. We urge the concerned authorities to take necessary actions to stop further such incidents, and we demand an independent judicial enquiry in the case of Lalon Sheikh's custodial death to bring out the truth to light.
---
*Secretary, Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM); National Convenor, Programme Against Custodial Torture & Impunity (PACTI), Hooghly

Comments

Beyond India-China borders: Economic links expand, political gaps persist

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak* Despite growing trade between India and China, a persistent trust deficit continues to shape their bilateral relationship. Expanding economic engagement has not fully resolved political differences, many of which stem from historical legacies as well as contemporary geopolitical concerns. Border disputes—often traced to colonial-era arrangements—remain a significant obstacle to deeper cooperation, while differing strategic alignments in global affairs add further complexity.

Operation Epic Fury: Making America great at the world’s expense?

By N.S. Venkataraman* The decades-long enmity between Iran and Israel is well-documented, but historically, their direct confrontations have been brief, constrained by the logistical and economic limitations of sustained warfare. The current conflict in the Middle East, however, marks a radical and dangerous departure from this pattern.

'Tax the top': Nationwide protests demand action as 1% control 40% of India’s wealth

By A Representative Civil rights groups across the country observed the martyrdom day of Bhagat Singh on March 23, as people from diverse backgrounds united to raise their voices against growing economic inequality. The mobilisations marked the launch of a nationwide campaign against inequality, running from March 23 to April 14 (Ambedkar Jayanti), under the banner of the “Tax The Top” campaign.

Gujarat cadre to HDFC: When bureaucratic style hits corporate walls

By Rajiv Shah I was a little amused by the abrupt March 17, 2026 resignation of Atanu Chakraborty —a Gujarat cadre IAS officer of the 1985 batch who retired from the government in 2020—as chairman of HDFC Bank . Much of what may have led to his decision to quit this ostensibly high post—actually a non-executive, part-time role—is by now well known. I followed most of it online with considerable interest, partly because I had interacted with him umpteen times during my stint as The Times of India correspondent in Gandhinagar from 1997 to 2012.

Fair prices, fresh produce: Vegetable market opens in Rajasthan tribal village

By Vikas Meshram* On 18 March 2026, the tribal village of Sajjangarh in southern Rajasthan witnessed the grand and dignified inauguration of a new vegetable market (mandi). Established through the tireless joint efforts of the Krushi Avam Adivasi Swaraj Sangathan (Bhilkuaan) and Vaagdhara, under the active leadership of the Gram Panchayat of Sajjangarh, the market is being hailed as a cornerstone for local self-governance, self-reliance, and a sustainable rural economy.

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.

Ex-IAS Atanu Chakraborty and a tale of two different Gujarat vision documents

By Rajiv Shah The likely appointment of Atanu Chakraborty as HDFC Bank chairman interested me for several reasons, but above all because I have interacted with him closely during my more than 14 year stint in Gandhinagar for the “Times of India”. One of the few decent Gujarat cadre bureaucrats, Chakraborty, belonging to the 1985 IAS batch, at least till I covered Sachivalaya was surely above controversies. He loved to remain faceless, never desired publicity, was professional to the core, and never indulged in loose talk. When he neared retirement, which happened in April 2020, first there were rumours in Sachivalaya that he would be appointed SEBI chairman, and then there was talk he would be chairman (or was it CEO?) of Gujarat International Finance Tec (GIFT) City (a dream project of Narendra Modi as Gujarat chief minister, which as Prime Minister Modi wants to promote, come what may). But, for some strange reasons, and I don’t know why, none of this happened, despite the fact...

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

Nalanda mahavihara By Rajiv Shah 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".

Witnessing Iran beyond propaganda: Truth, war, and the path beyond western paradigm

By Naile Manjarrés On June 23, 2025—marked as the 2nd of Tir, 1404, on the Persian calendar—a ceasefire between Iran and Israel was announced. This "night of the decree" shifted the trajectory of global affairs; although the world may appear unchanged on the surface, we have yet to fully grasp its impact.

Search This Blog