INDIA: Two men killed in mass lynching by villagers in West Bengal 

Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from our local partner organization, Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (Masum) in West Bengal, India, about an incident involving mass lynching that occurred at the Guma railway station in 24 Parganas (north) district in West Bengal on 28 November 2005.

The information revealed that there was a clash between two opposing gang members and at least five men of one gang attacked the house of Madan, the head of the other group with arms, including bombs. Failing to locate Madan at his house, they found him at the railway station and started firing at him. However, Madan managed to escape.

The villagers soon realised what was happening and with an aim to retaliate against the gang men, started assembling together. The gang men then started firing against the villagers to prevent them from striking back. The villagers however did not give up and finding no other option, the gang men stole some bicycles and tried to escape. The villagers chased them and with the help of a farmer grabbed one of the men and slit his throat. The others were caught and beaten so harshly that another man died on the spot.

Police cases were lodged at the Habra and Barasat police station and the bodies were sent for post mortem. The Superintendent of Police, 24 Parganas (N) confirmed that this incident involved a clash between two rival groups.

This is yet another incident of mass lynching occurring in West Bengal, India in recent times where villagers take the law into their own hands mainly due to their distrust in the law enforcement and justice mechanisms. However, mass lynching is certainly not a solution to prevent people from committing offences. This alarming trend must stop and instead measures ought to be taken to develop trust in the enforcement agencies. We therefore request you to write to various authorities asking them to immediately take cognizance of such incidents and take preventive steps to ensure that such cases do not take place in future.

Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission
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DETAILED INFORMATION:

Name of victims:
1. Two unidentified people, dead
2. Two unidentified people, injured
3. Many others, including school children
Place of incident: Guma railway station and Guma Chowmatha, Dariasudi Village, North 24     Parganas District
Name of alleged perpetrators: Local villagers
Date of incident: 28 November 2005

Case Details:

On 28 November 2005, in a clash between two opposing gangs, about five members of one group attacked the house of Madan, the kingpin of their rival gang with country made weapons  and bombs. Failing to locate Madan at his home, the gang men then moved towards the railway station where he was found and fired upon. They also hurled bombs at him, which injured Madan, but he managed to escape.

This caught the eye of the local villagers who then decided to act against the gang men in their own way. Realising this, the gang men shifted to Chowmatha (crossing between four roads) at Jesore Road where they challenged the villagers to fight against them and tried to stop them from approaching by firing and throwing crude bombs at them. This however did not deter the villagers who continued advancing and now with much more vigor. Finding no other alternative, the gang men stole some bicycles from the spot and fled to Dariasudi village under Habra police station.

The hue and cry generated by the local villagers chasing them caught the attention of some farmers who then helped the mob to grab one of the gang men and slit his throat with the sickle they were working with. The other gang men hid themselves but were caught and beaten so hard that one of them died on the spot while two others were badly injured.

Subsequently, the police from three police stations namely, Ashok Nagar, Habra and Barasat reached the spot and took the gang men into their custody. The injured men were admitted to the District Hospital, Barasat.

A police case (no. 359, dated 28/11/2005) has been lodged with Habra police station under the Indian Penal Code, sections 304/325/326/427, section 3 of the Prevention of Destruction of Public Property Act (1994), section 9 (b) of the Indian Explosive  Act, and section 25/27of the Arms Act.

A case of unnatural death was also registered with the Barasat police station (no. 194 dated 28/11/2005) and the dead bodies were sent for postmortem. Mr Praveen Kumar, the Superintendent of Police, 24 Parganas (n) confirmed that this incident involved a clash between two rival gangs. He also reported that there has been no arrest so far of any person involved in lynching.

This incident demonstrates the little faith people have in the law enforcement and justice systems. The government, despite being aware of this alarming trend in which people resort to taking the law in their own hands, has done little about this. This sort of mass lynching not only denies the so called perpetrators of crime a right to fair trial but also points to the collapse of law and order in the state.

SUGGESTED ACTION:

Please write to the Director General of West Bengal and other authorities asking them to investigate into this case and take steps to ensure such incidents do not take place in future.

 

 

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