Probe incidents of accused being paraded in underwear: APDR writes to West Bengal Human Rights Commission

Expressing concern over some accused being paraded barefoot in their underwear across a few police stations in Howrah district, a civil rights organisation has approached West Bengal Human Rights Commission to conduct an inquiry into the actions by the police officers.

Association of Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR), a well -known civil rights organisation in a letter to WBHRC has highlighted two instances at Golabari police station on May 24 and at Sankrail police station on May 25, where two accused were paraded in underwear.

On May 24 accused Akash Singh was paraded in his underwear and vest before being taken into custody and on May 25, Shamim Ahmed was subjected to similar treatment made to walk on the streets in a rope tied to the waist and paraded in his underwear and vest before being taken into custody.

There are serious allegations of criminal activities against both the accused and the arrest comes after the change in the regime in West Bengal where the police has started a clamp down against local Trinamool leaders and people with criminal antecedents who were closer to the Trinamool Congress regime.

“We are appalled by this conduct on the part of the police. The actions of the police personnel at the Golabari and Sankrail Police Stations constitute a gross violation of human rights.... A fundamental tenet of human rights law—observed globally, including in India—is that an accused individual is presumed innocent until proven guilty,” APDR vice president Ranajit Sur said in the letter to WBHRC,

Mr. Sur highlighted that in Metiabruz in Kolkata and even at Park Circus, accused were seen with ropes tied with their waist.

“The Supreme Court has issued specific directives stipulating that no prisoner may be handcuffed without an explicit order from a Magistrate. Furthermore, the Supreme Court has repeatedly imposed bans on the practice of tying ropes around prisoners’ waists, unequivocally declaring it to be a violation of human rights and an act of indignity,” APDR wrote to WBHRC.

After violence at Park Circus on May 18, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said that there will be zero tolerance against any acts of vandalism and said that police will have a free hand to deal with criminal antecedents. 

Mr. Sur said that despite these clear mandates, the police engaging in such conduct reflects that the police are not only shying away from due process of law but resorting to use of “criminal force”.

After the BJP came to power in West Bengal, there has been a clampdown on local Trinamool leaders and people with criminal antecedents. There have been about 100 arrests, most of which have been local Trinamool Congress leaders allegedly involved in corruption.