A scheduled caste boy still living with pierced pellets from firearms of BSF

Name and details of the victim: Mr. Sanjit Mondal; son of Mr. Krishna Chandra Mondal; aged about 17 years (date of birth- 05. 01.1994, a minor at the time of the incident); Schedule Caste; resident of village- Char Durgapur, Post Office- Harudanga; Police Station- Raninagar; District- Murshidabad

Details of the perpetrators: Names unknown; 6 Border Security Force Jawans posted at the Harudanga Mini Camp at the time of incident under Kaharpara Camp of Border Security Force

Date and timer of the incident: at around 5 pm on 15.04.2011

Place of occurrence: At the agrarian field of Mr. Krishna Chandra Mondal at Mouza- Char Dumuria, (Dag No. 813 of Part No. 655) of Borderpara, commonly called as Sahar Char or Nirmal Char of Border Para and this is situated 500 meters from Harudanga Mini Camp under Ranitala Police Station

Case Detail

Sanjit Mondal is living with his parents and two siblings. His father is a reputed school teacher at nearby Mahadebpur Sishu Siksha Kendra and having a small piece of land. Sanjit and his brothers are assisting his father in agricultural activities along with their regular study. Their agrarian land is situated at Indo- Bangladesh bordering area which forcing them to face BSF atrocities on and often like other fellow villagers. On the said date and time of the incident; Sanjit was watering his field for Kharif cultivation; they suppose to sow jute on the said land. All of a sudden six uniformed BSF personnel from the said Mini Camp came at the spot and apprehended Sanjit and started beating him with riffle butts. All of them carrying fire arms at the time of the incident. Sanjit fell on the ground due to the sudden attack and bashing. Thereafter, the BSF personnel started kicking him on his chest with boot clad feet. The family members of Sanjit were somehow gets information about the savage torture. After receiving the information his parents, uncle; Mr. Bisnupada Mondal, Mr. Bikash Mondal; son of Mr. Binay Mondal and Mr. Madhu Mondal all residents of village- Char Durgapur, Post Office- Harudanga rushed to the spot and found him writhing in pain while BSF personnel are bashing him black and blue. The said witnesses protested the torture and asked the BSF personnel to leave the victim and in return humiliated by the personnel. The BSF personnel left the place and fired from their firearms targeting Sanjit after reaching a few yards. The family members reported that the personnel intended to kill Sanjit. The pellets pierced through different parts of Sanjit’s body even his head. He became unconscious thereafter. BSF personnel left the scene for Harudanga Mini Camp after considering that Sanjit has died. The victim was brought to Godhanpara Block Primary Hospital and Domkal Sub Divisional Hospital and in both these places in first hand the attending doctors refused to treat Sanjit due to the involvement of BSF. The family somehow managed his primary treatment with a local quake but the quake failed to remove the pellets from his body. Later, the doctors at Domkal Sub Divisional Hospital somehow managed to remove two pellets and rest are still inside his body and due to that he became terminally ill. The villagers made financial help to the family for Sanjit’s treatment and he came to Calcutta Medical College and Hospital in June 2011 for removal of pellets from his body. The doctors at Medical College has suggested for a major surgery. Due to the financial distress, the family failed to arrange the required surgery.

Here it should be mentioned that the siblings of Sanjit including him were severely tortured by the BSF personnel on 24.09.2009, while they were at their field. The father of the boys made a complaint to Raninagar Police Station and that was registered as Raninagar PS Case No. 615/09 of 24.09.2009. There was no required progress in the said case and that frightened the victim and his family to make another complaint to the police against BSF. Nevertheless, the family made a complaint to the police outpost at Calcutta Medical College and Hospital on 02.06.2011 but no inquiry has been made. The father of the victim was somehow manage to draw courage and made a written complaint to the Superintendent of Police; Murshidabad on 04.04.2012. Surprisingly, the BSF has not lodged a complaint against the victim boy which is an oddity in BSF’s part in every case of their firing.  He was treated at our monthly medical camp, VIC-TREE, a project run by the assistance of United Nations Voluntary Fund for Torture Victims (UNVFVT), where his statement was recorded. Please see - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02cHSaOtZdI&feature=colike

--
Kirity Roy
Secretary
Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha
(MASUM)
&
National Convenor (PACTI)
Programme Against Custodial Torture & Impunity
40A, Barabagan Lane (4th Floor)
Balaji Place
Shibtala
Srirampur
Hooghly
PIN- 712203
Tele-Fax - +91-33-26220843
Phone- +91-33-26220844 / 0845
e. mail : kirityroy@gmail.com
Web: www.masum.org.in