Dear friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from MASUM, a local human rights organisation based in West Bengal, India regarding the case of Mr. Santhosh Mondal who was mowed down and drowned by the Border Security Force [BSF] in West Bengal, India. It is alleged the BSF officers ran a speedboat over Santhosh and drowned him in river Padma at the Indo-Bangladesh border on July 27, 2007. The body of the deceased was not found and is assumed to have drifted away in the fast currents.
CASE DETAILS:
Santhosh Mondal is the resident of Shibpur village in Murshidabad district of West Bengal. On July 27, 2007, Santhosh along with five other villagers were spending time along the banks of river Padma which flows along the Indo-Bangladesh border. Shibpur is along the banks of the river.
The evening on July 27 was very warm and humid and in the rural villages in India it is a practice for the villagers to spend their evenings outside their house. Santhosh was in the company of Mr. Uttam Mondal, son of Nogen Mondal, Mr. Krishno Mondal, son of Jiten Mondal, Mr. Tulsi Mondal, son of Kedar Mondal, Mr. Sunil Mondal, son of Mahindar Mondal and Mr. Parasuram.
By about 6pm three BSF officers attached to the 90 Battalion of the ECO Company stationed in the district arrived there. They started asking questions to Santhosh and his friends. The officers were not however satisfied by the answers provided by Santhosh and his friends. The officers started beating Santhosh and his friends with a stick. When the beating started some of the villagers ran back to their house. Santhosh for some reason could not run away and he instead jumped into the river to save himself. The officers left the place immediately and managed to get a speedboat from their out-post at Harudanga.
With the speedboat, the officers soon reached the spot where Santhosh was swimming. They could locate Santhosh with their flashlight. Then they ran the speedboat over Santhosh. The propeller of the boat broke after hitting Santhosh. In the incident, it is assumed that the sharp propeller blades have mowed down Santhosh’ body. He was never found again.
On July 29 one of Santhosh’ relative Mr. Suresh Chandra Mondal filed a complaint at the Raninagar Police Station regarding the incident. On the same day the Sub Inspector of Police from the Raninagar Police Station visited the village to investigate the case. The officer also met the villagers and the family members of the deceased.
Santhosh belong to the scheduled caste community. Santhosh’ family consist of his wife Sadhona Mondal, two sons Pinku Mondal aged seven years and Jogodish Mondal aged two years, and three daughters, Rinku Mondal aged twelve years, Rentu Mondal aged five years and Rima Mondal aged three years. Santhosh had no landed property and he was the only earning member of the family. Santhosh now dead, Sadhona Mondal now does not know how to feed the family and educate their children.
The AHRC in the past several months have reported 35 cases where the BSF officers were involved in questionable and punishable acts like, torture, rape, murder and other abuse of authority. All these cases were brought immediately to the attention of authorities in India. However, the authorities in India have continued neglecting the issue, which has now resulted in the BSF engaging in horrendous activities like the one reported in this appeal.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please send a letter to Mr. Ajay Raj Sharma, the Director General BSF requesting him to take immediate steps to have this matter properly investigated.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear __________,
INDIA: Please ensure that the murderers of Mr. Santhosh Mondal are punished
Name of victim: Mr. Santhosh Mondal, son of Sudhir Mondal, resident of Shibpur, under the jurisdiction of Raninagar Police Station, Murshidabad district, West Bengal
Alleged perpetrators: Three officers from the Border Security Force, stationed at 90 BN BSF ECO Company, Harudanga Border Security Force Camp, Raninagar, Murshidabad, West Bengal
Place of incident: Shibpur village, Murshidabad district
Date of incident: July 27, 2007
I am writing to you to express concern about the case of Mr. Santhosh Mondal, a 40 year old villager who was first beaten up and later mowed down by the officers of the Border Security Force [BSF] by a speedboat on July 27, 2007 at Shibpur village in Murshidabad district of West Bengal.
I am informed that while Santhosh along with a few other villagers were sitting near the river Padma in their village in the evening, three officers from the BSF approached them and started asking questions. The officers soon started assaulting the villagers, including Santhosh with a stick. Many of the villagers ran away while Santhosh jumped into the river to save himself. However, the officers went to their out-post and came back looking for Santhosh in a speedboat. They found Santhosh swimming in the light of a powerful torch the officers had.
They approached Santhosh and ran over him with the boat. The propeller of the boat broke as it cut through Santhosh’ body. Santhosh drowned and his body was never recovered.
I am informed that this is not the first case where officers from the BSF are involved in brutal acts committed against ordinary villagers along the Indo-Bangladesh border. I am also informed that in the past several months the Asian Human Rights Commission has brought to your notice several cases where the officers from the BSF were allegedly involved in atrocious acts.
I am concerned to know that your administration or the state or union government has failed to contain the atrocious acts committed by the BSF in West Bengal. I am informed that Santhosh has left behind five young children and a wife who now does not have any means to feed their children and educate them.
I am also informed that a complaint has been lodged at the Raninagar Police Station regarding the incident on July 29, 2007 which is now being investigated into and the murderers punished. However, I am afraid that the investigation might not be carried out properly owing to the influence of the BSF upon the local police officers.
I therefore request you to intervene in this case at the earliest and make sure that the persons responsible for murdering Santhosh are brought to justice. I also request you that the state as well as central government pays an interim compensation to the family. I further request you to ensure that the BSF stationed along the Indo-Bangladesh border is engaged in securing the border through legally accepted means and that their officers are not allowed to murder, rape and torture the ordinary villagers.
Yours sincerely,
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PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
1. Mr. Ajay Raj Sharma
Director General BSF
Block 10, CGO Complex
Lodhi Road
New Delhi -03.
Tel: +91 11 24362181
Fax: +91 11 24360016
Email: bsfhq@hub.nic.in
2. Chairperson
National Human Rights Commission of India
Faridkot House, Copernicus Marg
New Delhi -110001
INDIA
Fax: +91 11 2334 0016
Email: chairnhrc@nic.in
3. Chief Secretary
Government of West Bengal
Writers’ Buildings, Kolkata – 700001
West Bengal
INDIA
Fax: +91 33 22144328
4. Home Secretary
Government of West Bengal
Writers’ Buildings, Kolkata – 700001
West Bengal
INDIA
Fax: +91 33 22143001
Email: sechome@wb.gov.in
5. Director General & Inspector General of Police
Government of West Bengal
Writers Buildings
Kolkata-1
West Bengal
INDIA
Fax: +91 33 2214 4498 / 2214 5486
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programmes
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrchk.org)
