A division vacation bench of the Calcutta High Court has requested a detailed report from the West Bengal Police concerning complaints about accused individuals being publicly paraded with ropes around their waists post-arrest. This action followed the filing of a petition in response to viral reports of such incidents on social media. The division vacation bench, comprising Justice Jay Sengupta and Justice Smita Das De, addressed the matter and instructed the state police to provide the report within the next three weeks.
The bench’s scrutiny of the issue revealed a concern about the public defamation of accused persons, regardless of the crimes they are alleged to have committed. Justice Sengupta emphasized that while legal action can be taken against the accused based on evidence, defaming them in such a manner during arrest is unacceptable. The court scheduled the next hearing on the matter for four weeks from now.
During the proceedings, the bench questioned the circumstances surrounding the roping of accused individuals, particularly in cases related to extortion. The state government counsel explained that such actions were often part of recreating crime scenes after arrests. However, the bench raised doubts about the risk of accused persons fleeing police custody under such circumstances. It stressed the importance of balancing law enforcement precautions with respecting the personal dignity of the accused.
