Entrenched impunity of BSF men: attack on women by public officials

Kirity Roy, Secretary, Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM) complains to the Chairman, National Human Rights Commission, on how on-duty BSF men destroyed food items and used criminal force with intent to outrage women's modesty:

***

This is to bring your attention over a heinous incident of BSF torture and violence against women of Tetuler Chara village under Mathabhanga I Block and Mathabhnaga Police Station in the district of Cooch Behar. The perpetrator BSF personnel attached with Barogariya Border Out Post, 157 Battalion beat the village women, destroyed their food items and used criminal force with intent to outrage their modesty. When other villagers including a child tried to protest this illegal action of the BSF, they were also beaten by the perpetrator BSF personnel. Perpetrator BSF also tried to kill the child by strangulation.
Villagers of Tetuler Chara lodged one written complaint to the Inspector-in-Charge, Mathabhanga Police Station but till date no action has been taken by the concerned police officials. This violates section 154 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and apex court judgment in Lalita Kumari vs. State of U.P. & others [WP (Crl.) 68 of 2008].
The act of the perpetrator BSF personnel attracts section 354 (Assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty; section 323 (Voluntary causing heart); section 425 (Mischief).
As the victims all are from Scheduled Caste community, therefore this act of the BSF officials also attracts the provision of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

Trying to kill a 15 years old child by strangulation also attracts section 23 of the Juvenile Justice (Care & Protection of Children) Act, 2000

The incident also violated Article 19 (1) (d) and Article 21 of the Indian Constitution; Article 3 (Right to equality), Article 5 (Right not to be tortured), Article 7 (Equality before law) and Article 8 (Right to effective remedy) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and Article 3 (Right to equality), Article 6 (Right to life) and Article 7 (Right not to be tortured) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. It also goes against the spirit of the Convention for the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination against Women. This heinous incident and subsequent inaction again legitimize our long-standing demand for ratification of the United Nations Convention against Torture (UNCAT) by the Government of India.
The perpetrator BSF personnel also violated the code of conduct for law enforcement officials adopted by United Nations General Assembly in 1979 which mandates that these officials shall respect and protect human dignity and maintain and uphold the human rights of all persons.
The incident reflects the entrenched impunity in the criminal justice system and systemic attack on religious and social minorities, and women by public officials. Therefore, I seek your urgent intervention in the case by fulfilling the following demands:

An independent and non-partisan investigation of the incident by any august agency.
SC & ST Prevention of atrocities Act should be attracted against the perpetrators.
BSF should be posted in the actual borders not inside the villages.
Proceedings should be initiated against the perpetrators of the BSF and the police and strict punishment should be given if found guilty.
Adequate compensation for the victims from the pocket of the perpetrator BSF personnel.
Directions to the Mathabhanga Police Station to register one case based on the written complaint of the villagers and issue the FIR copy to the informant and start impartial investigation in respect.
Security and safety of the victims and their family members must be ensured.

Comments

From plagiarism to proxy exams: Galgotias and systemic failure in education

By Sandeep Pandey* Shock is being expressed at Galgotias University being found presenting a Chinese-made robotic dog and a South Korean-made soccer-playing drone as its own creations at the recently held India AI Impact Summit 2026, a global event in New Delhi. Earlier, a UGC-listed journal had published a paper from the university titled “Corona Virus Killed by Sound Vibrations Produced by Thali or Ghanti: A Potential Hypothesis,” which became the subject of widespread ridicule. Following the robotic dog controversy coming to light, the university has withdrawn the paper. These incidents are symptoms of deeper problems afflicting the Indian education system in general. Galgotias merely bit off more than it could chew.

Covishield controversy: How India ignored a warning voice during the pandemic

Dr Amitav Banerjee, MD * It is a matter of pride for us that a person of Indian origin, presently Director of National Institute of Health, USA, is poised to take over one of the most powerful roles in public health. Professor Jay Bhattacharya, an Indian origin physician and a health economist, from Stanford University, USA, will be assuming the appointment of acting head of the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), USA. Bhattacharya would be leading two apex institutions in the field of public health which not only shape American health policies but act as bellwether globally.

The 'glass cliff' at Galgotias: How a university’s AI crisis became a gendered blame game

By Mohd. Ziyaullah Khan* “She was not aware of the technical origins of the product and in her enthusiasm of being on camera, gave factually incorrect information.” These were the words used in the official press release by Galgotias University following the controversy at the AI Impact Summit in Delhi. The statement came across as defensive, petty, and deeply insensitive.

Farewell to Saleem Samad: A life devoted to fearless journalism

By Nava Thakuria* Heartbreaking news arrived from Dhaka as the vibrant city lost one of its most active and committed citizens with the passing of journalist, author and progressive Bangladeshi national Saleem Samad. A gentleman who always had issues to discuss with anyone, anywhere and at any time, he passed away on 22 February 2026 while undergoing cancer treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. He was 74.

Growth without justice: The politics of wealth and the economics of hunger

By Vikas Meshram* In modern history, few periods have displayed such a grotesque and contradictory picture of wealth as the present. On one side, a handful of individuals accumulate in a single year more wealth than the annual income of entire nations. On the other, nearly every fourth person in the world goes to bed hungry or half-fed.

From ancient wisdom to modern nationhood: The Indian story

By Syed Osman Sher South of the Himalayas lies a triangular stretch of land, spreading about 2,000 miles in each direction—a world of rare magic. It has fired the imagination of wanderers, settlers, raiders, traders, conquerors, and colonizers. They entered this country bringing with them new ethnicities, cultures, customs, religions, and languages.

Thali, COVID and academic credibility: All about the 2020 'pseudoscientific' Galgotias paper

By Jag Jivan* The first page image of the paper "Corona Virus Killed by Sound Vibrations Produced by Thali or Ghanti: A Potential Hypothesis" published in the Journal of Molecular Pharmaceuticals and Regulatory Affairs , Vol. 2, Issue 2 (2020), has gone viral on social media in the wake of the controversy surrounding a Chinese robot presented by the Galgotias University as its original product at the just-concluded AI summit in Delhi . The resurfacing of the 2020 publication, authored by Dharmendra Kumar , Galgotias University, has reignited debate over academic standards and scientific credibility.

'Serious violation of international law': US pressure on Mexico to stop oil shipments to Cuba

By Vijay Prashad In January 2026, US President Donald Trump declared Cuba to be an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to US security—a designation that allows the United States government to use sweeping economic restrictions traditionally reserved for national security adversaries. The US blockade against Cuba began in the 1960s, right after the Cuban Revolution of 1959 but has tightened over the years. Without any mandate from the United Nations Security Council—which permits sanctions under strict conditions—the United States has operated an illegal, unilateral blockade that tries to force countries from around the world to stop doing basic commerce with Cuba. The new restrictions focus on oil. The United States government has threatened tariffs and sanctions on any country that sells or transports oil to Cuba.

Conversion laws and national identity: A Jesuit response response to the Hindutva narrative

By Rajiv Shah A recent book, " Luminous Footprints: The Christian Impact on India ", authored by two Jesuit scholars, Dr. Lancy Lobo and Dr. Denzil Fernandes , seeks to counter the current dominant narrative on Indian Christians , which equates evangelisation with conversion, and education, health and the social services provided by Christians as meant to lure -- even force -- vulnerable sections into Christianity.

Search This Blog