A 45-year-old man died after being taken into police custody in Halisahar in North 24 Parganas district, prompting the civil rights group Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR) to allege custodial torture and demand an independent judicial investigation.
According to an APDR statement issued on August 11, the deceased was Bijay Kumar Teot, a resident of Chandanpara’s Pramodnagar area. The organisation said its Bijpur and Talpani branches investigated the circumstances surrounding his death.
APDR said Teot was found unconscious inside Halisahar police station at around 6:30 am on August 8 and was taken to Kalyani JNM Hospital, where he was declared dead. The organisation said an unnatural-death case was subsequently registered at Talpani police station, numbered 535/26, at about 12:40 pm on August 8.
Injuries Recorded
Citing the hospital report and inquest documentation, APDR said the man's body bore multiple injuries, including bruises, lacerations, areas of bleeding and blood clotting, marks consistent with blows, and marks on both hands and legs that it says were consistent with restraints.
The organisation further alleged that the injuries raised questions about possible head trauma and internal injuries. APDR said the exact cause of death would have to be established through the post-mortem examination and subsequent investigation.
These claims could not be independently verified from publicly accessible medical records.
APDR alleged that Teot had been arrested from his temporary residence at around 7:30 am on August 7 and subsequently taken into police custody. According to the organisation, his wife was questioned at Halisahar police station that night and was told that he would be produced before a court and could obtain bail.
The family, APDR said, was not formally informed of his death the following morning. Relatives allegedly learned of the death through another person and subsequently found Teot's body at the emergency department of JNM Hospital.
The press note also alleges that the family had not initially been provided with an arrest memo or other formal documentation concerning his detention.
Political Motive Alleged By Family
According to APDR, Teot's wife believes that her husband was arrested because of political hostility. The organisation said the family maintains that he had previously worked in security and had been earning around ₹1.5 lakh a year through business activities.
APDR has not produced independent evidence establishing that the arrest was politically motivated. The allegation remains part of the family's account and would need to be examined by investigators.
The circumstances described by APDR are significant because Section 196(2) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023 provides for a mandatory magistrate inquiry when a person dies or disappears while in police custody or other custody authorised by a magistrate or court. The provision requires such an inquiry in addition to the police investigation.
Recent judicial decisions have stressed that the inquiry contemplated in cases of custodial death is a judicial-magistrate inquiry, rather than an executive-magistrate inquiry being treated as an adequate substitute. The Jharkhand High Court reiterated this position in 2026.
The Supreme Court's safeguards in D.K. Basu v. State of West Bengal also require police to follow procedures concerning arrest documentation, identification of officers, medical examination and communication with relatives.
APDR has specifically referred to alleged violations of the safeguards laid down in D.K. Basu and Section 196 of the BNSS.
Demand for Independent Investigation
The rights organisation has called for:
- legal compensation and support for Teot's family;
- an independent judicial investigation into the events at Halisahar police station on August 7;
- criminal proceedings against police personnel if evidence establishes custodial torture or custodial killing;
- appropriate legal action even if intentional killing is not established, where criminal negligence in custody is found; and
- action against police officers responsible for any violation of the legal safeguards governing custodial deaths.
APDR said the circumstances warranted treating the case as a possible custodial killing until an impartial investigation establishes the cause and circumstances of death.
Political DimensionMeanwhile, the case has assumed a political dimension because of Keot’s association with the Trinamool Congress. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari visited Keot’s family in Halisahar on August 10 and acknowledged a police lapse in the case. He ordered a magisterial inquiry and announced financial assistance of Rs 10 lakh and a government job for Keot’s wife.
The government has also taken disciplinary action against police personnel. The investigating officer has been suspended, while the officer-in-charge of Halisahar police station has been removed from his post pending further action.
Former chief minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee also visited Halisahar to meet Keot’s family. During the visit, her vehicle was reportedly surrounded by protesters who threw mud, slippers and other objects.
The BJP denied involvement in the incident, while TMC leaders alleged that the attack was politically motivated.
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