UPDATE (India): List of several missing and injured persons of the Nandigram massacre

[NOTICE: To facilitate your intervention of the urgent appeals issued by the AHRC, we have developed a new automatic letter-sending system using the “button” below. However, in this appeal, we could not include e-mail addresses of all the Indian authorities. We encourage you to send your appeal letters via fax or post to those people. Fax numbers and postal addresses of the authorities are attached below with this appeal. Thank you.]

Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received further information from its local partner in West Bengal, MASUM, regarding the Nandigram massacre that happened on 14 March 2007. The MASUM has collected names of 19 missing and 29 injured persons (one died in the hospital) in the incident. However the actual number of the victims who were killed, disappeared and injured is expected to be much higher as no fact-finding activities have yet been launched. Meanwhile, the Calcutta High Court suo motu issued directions to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to immediately investigate the incident.

On receipt of a fax send to the court by The Association for Protection of Democratic Rights, which the court treated as a Public Interest Litigation, the court has also passed an interim order to permit NGOs or concerned persons to be permitted to enter Nandigram to provide assistance to the victims. Meanwhile, there is confirmed information that 27 additional dead bodies were found near the Haldi River near Nandigram. We again call for your strong intervention into this matter. Please urge the Indian government to ensure a speedy, impartial and thorough investigation into the matter and take strong actions against the police officers and others responsible for the massacre.

UPDATED INFORMATION:

List of missing persons in Nandigram – confirmed through local sources

1. Mr. Subrata Patra, son of Mr. Lalu Patra of Sonachura village
2. Mrs. Basanti Kar, wife of Gora Chand Kar of Sonachura village
3. Mr. Subrata Samanta alias Gura, son of Pranab Samanta of Sonachura village
4. Mr. Musaraf Khan, son of Kaked Khan Nathchirachar
5. Mr. Badal Mondal, son of Gobardhan Mondal of 7 Jalpai village
6. Mrs. Sabitri Bijoli, wife of Sudarshan Bijoli of Sonachura village 
7. Mr. Ratikanta Das, son of Surendra Das of 7 Jalpai village
8. Mr. Durga Pada Mondal of Roynagar village
9. Mr. Rabindra Nath Das, son of Bhanu Das of 7 Jalpai village
10. Mr. Subrata Bijoli, son of Late Sudarshan of Sonachura village
11. Mr. Proloy Giri, son of Loba Giri of South Khali village
12. Mrs. Kalibala Patra, wife of Nishi Patra of Kalicharanpur village
13. Mrs. Swapna Patra, wife of Bidhan Patra of Kalicharanpur village
14. Mrs. Srimati Das, wife of Panchanan Das of Kalicharanpur village
15. Mrs. Kalpana Patra, wife of Bibhuti Patra of Kalicharanpur village
16. Mrs. Basanti Bala Kar, wife of Gora Chand Kar of Kalicharanpur village
17. Mr. Tapas Kar, son of Gora Chand Kar of Kalicharanpur village
18. Mr. Panchanan Das, son of Gunadhar of Keshabpur village
19. Mr. Imadul alias Raja, son of Manirul Islam of Jadubari Chowk village

List of injured person – confirmed through local sources
   
1. Mr. Bhabani Giri, aged 45, bullet injury
2. Mr. Gopal Das, aged 30, injured on his right shoulder
3. Mr. Sk. Mazahar, aged 40, injured on his right leg
4. Mrs. Bansari Acharya, aged 35, injured
5. Mr. Abhijit Giri, injured on his arms
6. Mrs. Sarnomoyee Das, aged 40, injured
7. Mr. Salil Das Adhikari, aged 35, injured
8. Mrs. Anuvha Kanrar, aged 30, injured
9. Mr. Saddam Hussien, aged 20, injured
10. Mr. Parikshit Maity 
11. Mr. Prithis Das, aged 35, head injury
12. Mr. Ratikanta Das, aged 40, bullet injury
13. Mr. Sankha Gula, aged 50, bullet injury
14. Mrs. Manju Manna, aged 45, bullet injury in her thigh
15. Mrs. Haimabati Halder, aged 45, bullet injury in her thigh
16. Mr. Subodh Das, aged 50, injured
17. Mrs. Kanak Das, aged 40, injured
18. Ms. Tapashi Das, aged 30, lacerated injury on his buttock
19. Mrs. Sita Maity, aged 47 
20. Mrs. Gouri Mondal, aged 45 
21. Mrs. Anjali Das, aged 55, head injury
22. Mr. Sk. Suraras, aged 30, injury
23. Mr. Nirmal Mondal, aged 28, skull injury 
24. Mr. Parikshit Dhara, aged 68 
25. Mr. Kanchan Mal, aged 50, bullet injury 
26. Mr. Prajapati Hazra, aged 50 
27. Mr. Asoke Mondal, aged 50, head injury
28. Mr. Mani Rana, aged 30, bullet injury
29. Mr. Sambhu Pal, aged 25, Sonachura village (died according to hospital records)

List of injured police personnel:

1. Mr. Biswajit Ghosh, Sub-Divisional Police Officer, Egra
2. Mr. Pranab Chatterjee, Circle Inspector, Bhupatinagar
3. Mr. Sitangshu Sinha, aged 30, constable of the State Armed Police (SAP) 12 battalion
4. Mr. Pijush Munda, constable of the SAP 12 battalion

The above list of the inured persons is based on the records of Tamluk Mahakuma (Sub-divisional) Hospital in East Midnapur district. The injured persons were admitted on 14-15 March 2007. Many of the injured persons mentioned above were referred to Seth Sukhlal Karnani Hospital in Kolkata.

At around noon of March 16, the MASUM’s activist Mr. Sadhan Roy Chowdhury along with some local NGO activists reached the Nandigram Block Primary Health Center, where many of the injured persons including two rape victims are reportedly warded. The rape victims are: Mrs. Kajol Majhi and Mrs. Gouri Pradhan. According to Mr. Chowdhury, the victims are not receiving proper medical treatment due to extremely inadequate medical facilities. Mr. Chowdhury reported that 65 injured victims of Nandigram incident has been warded in the Health Center, which has only 8 beds. Also, there are reportedly shortage of blood and other medicines for the treatment. However, it is reported that the district as well as the state government has not yet provided any medial assistance to the injured persons. The AHRC will update the list of the injured persons as soon as we receive further information.

Calcutta High Court judgment on Nandigram massacre

In its judgment (reference number: A.S.T. 205 of 2007), the Calcutta High Court issued an interim order restraining the Respondent Nos. 2 to 7 (government agents) preventing the NGOs and voluntary aid organization from reaching Nandigram to provide assistance to injured and deceased villagers.

The judgment confirmed “there have been a large number of deaths which are directly attributable to the prolonged gunfire by the police of the State of West Bengal” and further criticized the police mentioning that “it seems as if the Police Department which is under the control of the Home Department is not even aware of the existence of Article 21 (right to life) of the Constitution”. It further mentioned that the action of the police department is “wholly unconstitutional and cannot be justified under any provision of law”.

The High Court also directed the District Administration to ensure that the unclaimed dead bodies are handed over to the appropriate authorities and conduct post-mortem and inquest on the bodies. The Court also issued a notice to the West Bengal state government to file a detailed affidavit explaining the reasons for the police action in Nandigram. The Court also directed the Nandigram matter to be investigated by a special team, deputed by the Director of Central Beauro Investigation (CBI) in New Delhi, concerning “the possibility of relevant evidence being lost/destroyed”.

AHRC’s previous urgent appeals and statements on Nandigram issue

To see further details about the Nandigram massacre, please see also:

UA-083-2007: INDIA: 11 villagers killed and more than 50 persons injured when police fired at villagers protesting against proposed land acquisition in Nandigram 
UP-038-2007: INDIA: Please urge the National Human Rights Commission of India to immediately send its fact-finding team to inquire about Nandigram massacre
AS-051-2007: INDIA: Nandigram, the latest outcome of a failing justice system
AHRC-PL-012-2007: INDIA: AHRC calls for international protest over massacre, questions Indian “democracy”

SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please immediately write to the relevant Indian authorities listed below and urge them to ensure the speedy, impartial and thorough investigation into the Nandigram massacre and to take strong actions against police officers and others responsible for the massacre. Please also request the authorities to ensure that local administration provide full assistance and protection to the fact-finding teams so that they can conduct their work freely without any obstruction.

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