West Bengal border area woman 'assaulted', relatives, villagers maltreated: NHRC told

Counterview Desk
In a representation to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), human rights defender Kirity Roy, secretary, Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha, and national convenor, Programme Against Custodial Torture and Impunity, has said that a minority community woman from a border area village was "assaulted and molested" after Border Security Force (BSF) personnel "illegally" banged into her house.
Taking strong exception to police inaction despite complaint, Roy said, her family members and other villagers who tried to intervene were also maltreated. "The BSF personnel prevented the ambulance from reaching her residence for nearly 4 hours. This is an act of criminal conspiracy with the only motive being to prevent the injured from seeking treatment", he added.

Text:

With deep concerns, we would like to inform you about an incident of molestation and torture perpetrated upon a woman after trespassing into her residence by serving BSF (Border Security Force) personnel.
Name of the victim: Mrs. Kohinoor Bibi, 35 years, wife of Mr. Sirajul Hoque, Muslim, village Vorum Payasthi, Morakuthi, Block Dinhata 1, Panchayet Gitaldaha ll, PS Dinhata, District Cooch Behar, West Bengal. Profession Household activities. Aadhar Card No. 725050415375 and many others.
Date, time and place of occurrence: On 10 October 2023 from 7 am onwards at victims’ house and at village road.
Name of the perpetrators: Under the leadership of Mr. Pappu Meena, Coy Commander of Gitaldaha BOP, 90 BN BSF a group of 40/50 armed forces.
Violation of rights: Rights enshrined in Indian Constitution, International Laws, domestic criminal laws.
Fact of the case: Mrs Kohinoor Bibi, a resident of Voram Payasthi Morakuthi village in Gitaldaha gram panchayat of Coochbehar district of West Bengal faced the ordeal on 10/10/2023 at around 7 AM. 40-50 male BSF personnel led by Assistant Company Commander Mr. Pappu Meena criminally trespassed into her property on that date and time and assaulted Mrs Bibi with the sticks, fists and blows they were carrying. They also molested Mrs Bibi and touched her inappropriately intending to outrage her modesty. Finally, she felt unconscious after suffering a powerful blow to her chest. Visible marks of blood clots can be observed on her, conveying the nature of the assault. The perpetrators also attacked, ransacked other 20/25 villagers and assaulted their family members.
When Mrs Kohinoor was facing such torture, her sister-in-law tried to intervene and she also was attacked with sticks. Meanwhile, the neighbours got to know about the situation at hand from cries for help and tried to reason with the BSF personnel to leave the premises of the house. The personnel rained blows with their sticks on the women who tried to rescue them. The women had to bear the humiliation of being called names and some suffered injuries owing to the assault.
Mrs Kohinoor Bibi was writhing in pain and the neighbours decided to call an ambulance to take her to a nearby medical facility. Then also, the BSF personnel prevented the ambulance from reaching her residence for nearly 4 hours. This is an act of criminal conspiracy with the only motive being to prevent the injured women from seeking treatment, which especially put the life of Mrs Bibi in grave danger owing to the nature of her injuries. They only let Mrs Bibi and the other women leave for a medical facility in the ambulance after the intervention of the Dinhata Police Station, which has jurisdiction over the concerned area. The other women were discharged after administering first aid and necessary medical treatment.

Mrs Bibi had to be admitted to the Dinhata Sub Divisional Hospital owing to the seriousness of the degree of injuries. It must also be noted that she was recuperating from a gallbladder surgery, operated at Divine Nursing Home, Saradapally, Dinhata in mid-May 2023 and hence was already in a vulnerable state. On 10th October many of the victims were treated at Dinhata hospital vide registration no. 42436.
The Dinhata Police Station has received a written complaint (the receipted copy and other relevant documents have been attached) but no notable action has been taken against the perpetrators to date.
We would urge you and your office to take immediate cognizance of the matter and conduct a speedy and impartial enquiry by Your investigating wing. We demand strong action against the perpetrators and especially against the Assistant Company Commander, Mr. Pappu Meena which should set a precedence in the future.
We urge you and your Commission to also compensate Mrs Kohinur Bibi and other women who have faced torture at the hands of BSF personnel and direct the concerned authorities to provide protection to the victims so that they can testify against the perpetrators without any fear of retribution in open court of law. All possible medical assistance should be provided to Mrs Bibi and other victims by the relevant authorities.
Lastly, we demand proper steps to be taken against the Inspector in Charge of Dinhata Police Station for not taking due recourse against the offenders even police received written complaint disclosing cognizable offenses, police received injury reports of the victims from the hospital, and more so, Dinhata Police reached the venue with car when BSF barricaded the road to stop the movement of ambulance for carrying the injured victims.
Thanking you, in anticipation of a favourable response from your end.

Comments

'Threat to farmers’ rights': New seeds Bill sparks fears of rising corporate control

By Bharat Dogra As debate intensifies over a new seeds bill, groups working on farmers’ seed rights, seed sovereignty and rural self-reliance have raised serious concerns about the proposed legislation. To understand these anxieties, it is important to recognise a global trend: growing control of the seed sector by a handful of multinational companies. This trend risks extending corporate dominance across food and farming systems, jeopardising the livelihoods and rights of small farmers and raising serious ecological and health concerns. The pending bill must be assessed within this broader context.

Delhi Jal Board under fire as CAG finds 55% groundwater unfit for consumption

By A Representative A Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India audit report tabled in the Delhi Legislative Assembly on 7 January 2026 has revealed alarming lapses in the quality and safety of drinking water supplied by the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), raising serious public health concerns for residents of the capital.

Jayanthi Natarajan "never stood by tribals' rights" in MNC Vedanta's move to mine Niyamigiri Hills in Odisha

By A Representative The Odisha Chapter of the Campaign for Survival and Dignity (CSD), which played a vital role in the struggle for the enactment of historic Forest Rights Act, 2006 has blamed former Union environment minister Jaynaynthi Natarjan for failing to play any vital role to defend the tribals' rights in the forest areas during her tenure under the former UPA government. Countering her recent statement that she rejected environmental clearance to Vendanta, the top UK-based NMC, despite tremendous pressure from her colleagues in Cabinet and huge criticism from industry, and the claim that her decision was “upheld by the Supreme Court”, the CSD said this is simply not true, and actually she "disrespected" FRA.

Pairing not with law but with perpetrators: Pavlovian response to lynchings in India

By Vikash Narain Rai* Lynch-law owes its name to James Lynch, the legendary Warden of Galway, Ireland, who tried, condemned and executed his own son in 1493 for defrauding and killing strangers. But, today, what kind of a person will justify the lynching for any reason whatsoever? Will perhaps resemble the proverbial ‘wrong man to meet at wrong road at night!’

Why economic war waged by US has created the situation for Iran's turmoil

By Vijay Prashad Iran is in turmoil. Across the country, there have been protests of different magnitudes, with violence on the increase with both protesters and police finding themselves in the morgue. What began as work stoppages and inflation protests drew together a range of discontent, with women and young people frustrated with a system unable to secure their livelihood. Iran has been under prolonged economic siege and has been attacked directly by Israel and the United States not only within its borders, but across West Asia (including in its diplomatic enclaves in Syria). This economic war waged by the United States has created the situation for this turmoil, but the turmoil itself is not directed at Washington but at the government in Tehran.

Stands 'exposed': Cavalier attitude towards rushed construction of Char Dham project

By Bharat Dogra* The nation heaved a big sigh of relief when the 41 workers trapped in the under-construction Silkyara-Barkot tunnel (Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand) were finally rescued on November 28 after a 17-day rescue effort. All those involved in the rescue effort deserve a big thanks of the entire country. The government deserves appreciation for providing all-round support.

Uttarakhand tunnel disaster: 'Question mark' on rescue plan, appraisal, construction

By Bhim Singh Rawat* As many as 40 workers were trapped inside Barkot-Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi after a portion of the 4.5 km long, supposedly completed portion of the tunnel, collapsed early morning on Sunday, Nov 12, 2023. The incident has once again raised several questions over negligence in planning, appraisal and construction, absence of emergency rescue plan, violations of labour laws and environmental norms resulting in this avoidable accident.

Urgent need to study cause of large number of natural deaths in Gulf countries

By Venkatesh Nayak* According to data tabled in Parliament in April 2018, there are 87.76 lakh (8.77 million) Indians in six Gulf countries, namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). While replying to an Unstarred Question (#6091) raised in the Lok Sabha, the Union Minister of State for External Affairs said, during the first half of this financial year alone (between April-September 2018), blue-collared Indian workers in these countries had remitted USD 33.47 Billion back home. Not much is known about the human cost of such earnings which swell up the country’s forex reserves quietly. My recent RTI intervention and research of proceedings in Parliament has revealed that between 2012 and mid-2018 more than 24,570 Indian Workers died in these Gulf countries. This works out to an average of more than 10 deaths per day. For every US$ 1 Billion they remitted to India during the same period there were at least 117 deaths of Indian Workers in Gulf ...

UP tribal woman human rights defender Sokalo released on bail

By A Representative After almost five months in jail, Adivasi human rights defender and forest worker Sokalo Gond has been finally released on bail.Despite being granted bail on October 4, technical and procedural issues kept Sokalo behind bars until November 1. The Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) and the All India Union of Forest Working People (AIUFWP), which are backing Sokalo, called it a "major victory." Sokalo's release follows the earlier releases of Kismatiya and Sukhdev Gond in September. "All three forest workers and human rights defenders were illegally incarcerated under false charges, in what is the State's way of punishing those who are active in their fight for the proper implementation of the Forest Rights Act (2006)", said a CJP statement.

Search This Blog