Death of migrant labourer in West Bengal: Custodial torture alleged, NHRC approached

Family members of the victim

By A Representative

In a disturbing development from West Bengal, serious allegations of custodial torture and subsequent death have emerged involving a 35-year-old migrant labourer, Bishnu Kumar, a resident of Arsha in Purulia district. Human rights organisation Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM) has lodged a formal legal complaint with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), calling for immediate intervention and an impartial investigation.

Bishnu Kumar, reportedly the sole earning member of his family and belonging to a marginalised community, was allegedly picked up by the Arsha police on 16 July without any formal arrest memo or written notice. According to MASUM’s complaint, he was forcibly dragged from his home into a police van and taken to the local police station, where he was illegally detained and brutally tortured.

He returned home hours later in severe physical distress, limping and visibly traumatised. Despite his wife Malati's efforts to provide relief, his condition worsened over the next few days. On the night of 19 July, he was declared “brought dead” at Arsha Block Hospital by Dr. Tamal Hansda. The family and co-villagers assert that his death was a direct result of custodial torture.

MASUM's fact-finding team documented several procedural violations and signs of a cover-up. These include the refusal to register the initial complaint from the deceased’s brother as an FIR, a police-led inquest instead of a magistrate's, and the absence of injury notations in the medical report despite visible marks. Further, six villagers who protested peacefully on 20 July were lathi-charged and arrested, allegedly on the orders of a sub-inspector.

“There is strong prima facie evidence of torture, cover-up and misuse of authority. The police fabricated documents, suppressed evidence, and violated fundamental protections enshrined in the Constitution,” said Kirity Roy, Secretary of MASUM and National Convenor of PACTI (Programme Against Custodial Torture & Impunity). “We demand an independent investigation, a re-post-mortem by an expert, and prosecution of all responsible officers. The NHRC must act now to ensure justice and deter such brutalities.”

Roy also urged the NHRC to direct the preservation of all CCTV footage of the police station dated 16 July and to advise all State and Central health authorities to adopt the Minnesota Protocol for examining deaths allegedly caused by torture or state violence. The group has also sought immediate compensation for the victim’s widow and release of the villagers who were wrongfully detained.

The case has triggered alarm among rights groups and local communities, reigniting concerns over unchecked custodial violence in the region.

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