Police accused of ‘assaulting’ school teacher, plaint lodged

BALURGHAT: An allegation has been levelled against the Patiram Police Station in South Dinajpur district, where a primary school teacher, Joydeb Sarkar, was reportedly beaten up by police personnel.

In response, the teacher’s wife, Shukla Sarkar, lodged a formal complaint with the district’s Superintendent of Police, Chinmay Mittal, on Saturday afternoon. On Friday the police had arrested a young man named Shubhojit Sarkar from Baul Mallikpur area near Patiram. His relatives, including his uncle Joydeb Sarkar and mother Sushama Sarkar, visited the police station, claiming that the arrest was without cause. It was during this visit that the situation escalated. Joydeb Sarkar allegedly began taking photos and videos inside the station, which led to an altercation with the police.

According to the teacher’s family, he was beaten severely by police officers and a civic volunteer. Joydeb reportedly lost consciousness and was rushed to Balurghat Super Speciality Hospital, where he is currently receiving treatment. On the other hand, the police have denied all allegations of assault. They claim that Joydeb Sarkar was using foul language and did not stop recording despite repeated warnings. Officer-in-charge Satkar Sangbo stated that the teacher lost consciousness during the confrontation but no physical assault took place. “He was asked to stop recording and when he didn’t comply, we detained him. He collapsed and we immediately called an ambulance to take him to the hospital,” said the officer.

Superintendent Chinmay Mittal stated: “We have received the complaint and the incident will be looked into.”