Intimidation tactics of West Bengal cop: Seeking bribery to let go alleged smuggling charge

By A Representative 

Kirity Roy, Secretary of Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM), has brought to the attention of the Director General and Inspector General of Police in West Bengal a troubling situation involving  Saddam Hossain, the son of Chabed Ali Miyan from Cooch Behar district. Hossain, who has lived a law-abiding life for the past nine years after leaving behind illegal activities in 2015, is reportedly facing harassment and extortion from local police officials. 

On September 9, 2024, a team of police officers led by a Sub-Inspector visited Hossain's residence, intimidating his family and demanding bribes. During a subsequent meeting, the Sub-Inspector allegedly extorted ₹1 lakh per month from Hossain for smuggling operations and threatened to falsely charge him with drug-related offenses should he refuse. 

Despite Hossain's claims of innocence and his disassociation from smuggling, the Sub-Inspector persisted with threats, even demanding names of others engaged in illegal activities. These threats also extended to  Hossain's family, including his elder brother,  Najrul Haque, who received similar intimidation tactics on September 11, 2024. 

Hossain and his family have gathered evidence in the form of CCTV footage and phone call recordings that capture the threats made by the police officer. However, despite reporting the incident, no action has been taken by local authorities to address the allegations. This situation raises serious concerns regarding the violation of Hossain and his family’s rights to life, dignity, and equal protection under the law, highlighting the misuse of power by law enforcement against citizens who abide by the law. 

Roy emphasized that the actions of the Sub-Inspector violate Rule 33(b) of the Police Regulation of Bengal 1943, as well as international human rights standards, including Article 2 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the United Nations General Assembly's Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials. 

In light of these egregious acts, Roy urged authorities to intervene urgently with the following actions: 

- An independent and impartial investigation into the entire matter. 

- Registration of Saddam Hossain’s complaint as a First Information Report (FIR) and initiation of a criminal investigation against the Sub-Inspector and any accomplices, carried out by an agency other than the Cooch Behar police. 

- The arrest and prosecution of the offending police personnel in a court of law for their abuse of power and attempted extortion. 

- Provision of adequate protection and compensation for  Hossain and his family to safeguard them from further harassment.