A complaint alleging torture, degrading treatment and abuse of power by personnel of the Border Security Force (BSF), with alleged collusion of local police and medical officials, has been submitted to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in connection with an incident in the Indo–Bangladesh border area of North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal.
The complaint has been filed by Kirity Roy, Secretary of Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM) and National Convenor of the Programme Against Custodial Torture and Impunity (PACTI).
According to the complaint, the incident took place on 14 January 2026 at around 3 pm near Daharkand Border Post No. 10, under Swarupnagar police station limits. The alleged victims are three women from Hakimpur village, including a 19-year-old woman who had undergone a caesarean operation in December 2025 and was recovering at her parental home with her one-month-old infant.
The complaint states that on the afternoon of 14 January, the young woman had gone near a local pond to wash clothes used by herself and her newborn when she was stopped by a woman BSF personnel. It is alleged that she was verbally abused, slapped and accused of being involved in smuggling, despite no illegal items being found in her possession. The complaint further alleges that additional BSF personnel later arrived at the spot and that the woman was physically assaulted in public view, including being kicked on her face, abdomen and chest, despite her recent surgery. Family members and villagers reportedly reached the scene after hearing her cries.
It is also alleged that during the incident, the woman’s gold chain was forcibly torn, with only part of it later recovered from the field. Her mother, who attempted to intervene, was also allegedly assaulted.
The complaint notes that both women later sought medical treatment at a government health facility, where, despite visible injuries, the outpatient department record reportedly stated that no injury was seen. They subsequently lodged a written complaint at Swarupnagar police station on the same evening. However, it is alleged that registration of their case was delayed for several hours and that no effective action was taken on their complaint.
Police records cited in the complaint indicate that two cases were registered on 14 January 2026 — one based on the woman’s complaint and another based on a counter-complaint filed by BSF personnel. The complaint alleges that while no action was taken on the women’s complaint, the police arrested the two women the following day. Both are currently in judicial custody after being denied bail.
The complaint further alleges inconsistencies and discriminatory practices in medical examination reports prepared at another hospital on the same date, suggesting differential treatment between civilian patients and uniformed personnel.
In the representation to the NHRC, MASUM has sought an independent and impartial inquiry into the incident, examination of CCTV footage from the police station and hospitals concerned, and action against officials if records are found to have been manipulated. The organisation has also sought protection for the victim family, compensation and rehabilitation for the affected women and the infant child, and compliance with India’s obligations under international human rights law.
The complaint states that such incidents undermine constitutional values, human dignity and the rule of law, particularly in sensitive border regions inhabited by marginalised communities.
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