INDIA: Police attack on students of Jadavpur University 

Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from MASUM, a human rights organisation in West Bengal about a police attack on the students of Jadavpur University, West Bengal, India.

On 11 June 2005, students belonging to the Faculty of Engineering and Technology Students Union (FETSU), Jadavpur University who had been protesting against the suspension of five of their colleagues were assaulted by hundreds of police who entered the university campus. There they not only launched a brutal lathi-charge (baton attack) on the students but also molested some of the girls participating in the student agitation. It is alleged that the police force was called by the Registrar of the university.

Those students who were seriously injured were taken to Bangur District Hospital where they were further abused by the police. The police however deny these allegations and the Inspector General of Police claims that a large number of his men, who only entered the campus at the request of the university authorities, were mobbed by the students and thus acted in their best interests. The Home Secretary, Government of West Bengal on the other hand, says that the agitating students were picked up from outside the campus by a small police force. The Chief Minister of West Bengal has ordered the Director General and Inspector General of Police to investigate into the matter.

In light of the above, the AHRC asks you to intervene immediately and ask the Chief Minister, West Bengal, to set up a judicial commission to inquire into the incident. Compensation should also be given to all students seriously injured in the police attack.

Urgent Appeals Desk
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
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DETAILED INFORMATION:

Names of the victims:
1. Arnab Roy Chowdhury,
2. Shatadal Chakraborty,
3. Sudipta Sarkar,
4. Samrat Roy Chowdhury,
5. Arun Kr. Majumdar,
6.Jayabrata Bhaduri,
7.Chandrasmita Choudhury
Many other students of Jadavpur University were also injured and manhandled during the police attack.
Place of incident: Jadavpur university campus
Alleged perpetrators:
Ashok Nath Basu, Vice Chancellor, Jadavpur University
Rajat Bandhopadhyay, Registrar of the said University
Mr. A. K. Deb, Home Secretary, Government of West Bengal
Police Personnel
Date of incident: 11 June 2005, around 1:30 a.m.

Case Details:

Five students were suspended by the authorities of the Jadavpur University and their results of four consecutive semesters were declared unacceptable. As a mark of solidarity, students under the banner of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology Students Union (FETSU) came together to protest against this decision .On 6 June 2005, they started a ‘fast unto death’, thus pressurising the authorities to revoke their harsh decision.

On June 10, the registrar of the university, Mr Rajat Bandhopadhya wrote a letter to the police authorities at the West Bengal Secretariat to send their troops to break the student protest. At about 8:00 p.m., as the students sat in front of the university’s main office, demanding to see the Vice Chancellor armed policemen drove in and asked them to disperse. The students however, refused to do so. Around 1:30 a.m on June11, the police launched a lathi- charge. The students were beaten mercilessly and manhandled. It is alleged that some of the girls were dragged out of the office by their legs and even molested by the policemen.

Those students who were seriously injured were put in the police van and taken to the Bangur District Hospital, where they were once again beaten by the police.

The Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Mr Chayan Mukherjee, claims that the large police force entered the campus only on the behest of the University Registrar and since they were mobbed by the students, they acted accordingly. The Additional Officer-in-Charge of the Jadavpur Police Station said that they did enter the campus but on the orders of the Alipore Sub-Divisional Officer. The Home Secretary, Mr Amit Kiran Deb on the other hand says that a small police force picked up the agitating students from outside the campus gate.

The Governor of West Bengal and the Chancellor of the University, Mr Gopal Krishna Gandhi has asked the Vice Chancellor, Mr Ashok Nath Basu and the District Magistrate, Mr Vivek Kumar to submit a report on the incident. The Chief Minister of West Bengal has also ordered the Director General and Inspector General of police to investigate the matter.

On June14, students from different unions launched an “All Bengal Student Strike”. Students belonging to the FETSU said they would abstain from any academic activity to protest against this inhumane treatment.

This case once again highlights police brutality and shows the deteriorating law and order situation in the country.

SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please send a letter to the Chief Minister, West Bengal Government asking him to set up a judicial commission to inquire into the incident.

To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER