A West Bengal-based human rights group has demanded probe into the recent “custodial death” of a 26-year old Bangladeshi convict at Behrampore Central Correctional Home in state’s Murshidabad district.
Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (MASUM) in a letter to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Friday, said its fact finding report revealed that the victim was murdered inside the correctional home and those involved in the killing were still at large.
The victim Prabal Chandra Roy of Dinajpur’s Kazal village was detained in the Behrampore Central Correctional Home as Jan-Khalash (a person who is detained in jail custody even after expiry of his sentence period).
He was found dead at the correctional home on Jan 16.
Roy was arrested, put on trial and convicted on charge of crossing the India-Bangladesh international border without valid travel documents. He completed his jail term months ago, but was languishing in the correctional home for months as the Indian authorities failed to make arrangements with the Bangladeshi authorities to repatriate him after his prison sentence was over.
“It is a matter of fact that the victim suffered custodial death but there has been no enquiry by judicial magistrate in compliance of the provisions of Section 176(1-A) of criminal Procedure Code to ascertain the cause of the death of the victim and identify the persons involved therein. Section 176(1-A) of Criminal Procedure Code mandates enquiry by judicial magistrate in case of custodial death,” the MASUM pointed out in its letter to the NHRC.
Condemning the incident, it demanded NHRC’s urgent intervention to ensure actions were taken against those involved in the killing.
Giving details of the incident, it said the victim was detained in ward no.29 of the correctional home along with other inmates and some of them were from his home country.
“On the day of the incident i.e. 16.1.2014 at about 9 pm when the victim was in his ward he was reportedly got engaged in a scuffle with the other inmates on the issue of ongoing political unrest in Bangladesh. The scuffle soon took violent shape and the victim was brutally assaulted by the other inmates.
“It is reported that the victim was grievously hurt by sharp cutting instruments. Soon thereafter Somnath Bhowmick-the Chief Warder; Sattaki Sarkar – the Chief Controller-II; the Chief Discipline Officer and other staffs of the correctional home rushed to the spot and took the victim to in-house hospital of the correctional home, but he died there at about 9 pm.
“In spite of that he was taken to Berhampore Medical College & Hospital, Berhampore where he was declared brought dead,” it said.
The rights body demanded that NHRC should ensure that the whole matter be investigated by one neutral investigating agency.
It also said that the role of the Superintendent of Berhampore Central Correctional Home and Sub Divisional Officer, Berhampore (Sadar) must be neutrally investigated into and they should be punished accordingly, if found guilty, for acts leading to the custodial death of the victim and for intentional non-compliance of Criminal Procedure.
Source: Bd news24