The West Bengal Human Rights Commission has initiated an inquiry following a complaint by the Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR) joint President Ranjit Sur. The complaint alleged that officers from Golabari, Shibpur, and Sankrail police stations forced accused individuals to march in public wearing only innerwear with ropes around their waists. This action was taken after a newspaper report highlighted the incident.
A similar complaint received earlier prompted the Commission to combine Ranjit Sur’s complaint with the ongoing investigation. The Commission has instructed its investigation wing, led by Superintendent of Police Pinaki Ranjan Das, to conduct a thorough inquiry and submit a preliminary report. Notices have been issued to relevant parties, including Ranjit Sur and police officials, to cooperate with the investigation process.
Furthermore, the West Bengal Police have been directed to provide necessary assistance to the Commission’s investigation team. The matter is scheduled for further review before the same Bench on June 23. In a related development, the Calcutta High Court’s division vacation bench has requested a detailed report from the state police regarding similar complaints of accused persons being paraded on the streets with ropes post-arrest.
The division vacation bench, comprising Justice Jay Sengupta and Justice Smita Das De, has set a deadline of three weeks for the state police to submit the report. The next hearing on this matter is slated for four weeks from the current date.
