Islampur case: NHRC to send team for on spot inquiry

Kolkata: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has decided to send its own team headed by DIG (Investigation) to conduct an on the spot inquiry into the allegations of the death of two school students and grievous injury to several others due to lathi charge, rubber bullets,

tear gas shells and gunshots fired by police personnel in Uttar Dinajpur district on September 20.

The commission has received three complaints regarding the matter. It has directed that the inquiry be completed at the earliest to submit a report within two weeks.

The commission has observed that the allegations, if true, would amount to the police authorities having acted in a sheer barbaric manner, giving no respect to human values. This kind of treatment with young students would amount to the ugliest example of cruelty by the police personnel, who are expected to protect the citizens.

The incident was allegedly triggered by the forcible appointment of an Urdu teacher by the administration at Daribhit High School in the village, while the students were demanding appointment of teachers for core subjects including Bengali, History, Mathematics and English.

As mentioned in the communication, the said teacher joined his duty with the help of the police force and a large number of his supporters.

The students raised their protest and mentioned that their demands have already been accepted by the School Management Committee during a meeting held in the presence of the headmaster, assistant headmaster, district inspector, secondary education school and block development officer, along with students and their guardians, on September 18. Yet, the Urdu teacher was being appointed forcefully.

To disperse the students, the police allegedly used excessive force against them, which resulted in the death of two students and injuries to many.

It has been further mentioned that many of the girl students who were present there, were manhandled and molested by the male police personnel.

Even the locals of other areas supportive of the administration allegedly joined in, including an unruly crowd from Golapara, against the students.

It has been mentioned that it became a riot-like situation and the body of the deceased student was inhumanly thrashed by the mob.

The parents have reportedly not cremated the bodies of the deceased students yet. Instead, they have temporarily buried them in the hope of a second postmortem and an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation.