[Attachment(s) from Kirity Roy included below]
To
The Acting Chairman
West Bengal Human Rights Commission
Bhabani Bhaban
Alipur
Kolkata -27 8th October 2009
Respected Sir,
We have found that the police of Tala Police Station delivered shocking inhuman treatment to the dwellers in the footpath beside Raja Manindra Chandra Road, opposite of Ashubabur Bazar touching the boundary wall of MIG (Middle-Income Group) Quarter under Police Station: Tala, District-Kolkata. On 16.8.2009 a team of police from the said police station dispossessed and evicted the dwellers from their shanties. The police personnel demolished the shelters and the household articles of the people who belonged to the most economically lowest strata of the society. The most of the dwellers belonged to Muslim community. The large numbers of people along with children were badly affected by the eviction just before the festival of Eid and Durga Puja. Even they were evicted during rough weather monsoon season.
Numbers of victims were allegedly physically assaulted and humiliated. The victims alleged that they were not given prior notice properly and they were not discussed of possible eviction. Police informed that the 'order' of eviction was brought to police station by one official of the Municipal Corporation on 16.8.2009 and for that the police evicted the dwellers from the footpath on the same day. Though the police is not bound to comply any illegal 'order'.
The behavior of the police and the authorities of Kolkata Municipal Corporation go to show they acted only to serve one contractor who got work order of 'beautification' programme. Both the police and KMC are aware that it is the state's obligation to provide adequate housing for all, everyone has right to protection against any forced eviction. Such atrocities on the poor people are condemned by us and it is a great assault on the democratic fabric of the society and utter violation of rights guaranteed by our Constitution and enshrined by the international laws.
Under such situation, we demand:-
· The evictees people must be rehabilitated and compensated properly
· The whole matter must be investigated by a neutral investigating agency.
· The role played by the Kolkata police personnel attached with Tala Police Station and Lal Bazar and the officials of Kolkata Municipal Corporation in the eviction of the victims must be thoroughly inquired into.
Thanking you
Yours sincerely
Kirity Roy
Secretary, MASUM
&
National Convenor, PACTI
(Programme Against Custodial Torture & Impunity)
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Name of the Victims: The large number of occupants resided in the footpath beside Raja Manindra Chandra Road, opposite of Ashubabur Bazar touching the boundary wall of MIG Quarter under Police Station: Tala, District-Kolkata, West Bengal, India. Particulars of the victims are provided at the bottom of the fact finding report.
Name of the perpetrators: (1) The involved police personnel of Tala PS and contingent from Head Quarter of Kolkata Police, Lal Bazar; (2) the involved officials of Kolkata Municipal Corporation.
Place of Incident: In the footpath beside Raja Manindra Chandra Road, opposite of Ashubabur Bazar touching the boundary wall of MIG Quarter under Police Station: Tala , District-Kolkata-
Date and time of incident: On 16.8.2009 in the afternoon.
Case Details:
In the footpath beside Raja Manindra Chandra Road, opposite of Ashubabur Bazar touching the boundary wall of MIG Quarter under Police Station: Tala around 30 families used to live for years. The male members of these families are mostly rickshaw pullers and the women mostly worked as maid servants. These families resided in the said footpath for last 27 years. It is reported that their native place was actually in districts of North and South 24 Parganas.
On 16.8.2009 in the afternoon when the inhabitants of the said footpath were about to take their afternoon meal, huge police force from Tala Police Station came along with three police vans full of police personnel and one empty police van. They started demolishing their shelters indiscriminately without any prior notice. The police personnel threw out the house hold articles, utensils and all the belongings of the dwellers of the said footpath. Even the police personnel took some things with them and put those things in police van. They also broke down the plastic and bamboo structure on which their shelters were supported. Some of the dwellers were allegedly beaten and abused in filthy language by the police personnel while they tried to raise protest.
On 17.8.2009 our fact finding team reached the place and saw that the dwellings of the victims were completely demolished. All their belongings have been lying scattered in the place of incident. Our team came to know from the victims that they were not given prior notice properly and they were not discussed of possible eviction. At that moment two police personnel came in a motor bike and told the people to leave the place as soon as possible.
When our fact finding team wanted to know from the said police personnel the reason about such type of action without any previous notice then they replied that those people were told to leave the footpath every year before Durga Puja festival but they do not pay any heed. So this time no prior notice was issued and direct action was taken. They also told that these are actually the jobs of Municipal Corporation and they are just helping them. In the afternoon our fact finding team went to Tala Police Station but higher police officers were not there and the other police personnel were not willing to talk about this case.
This incident of eviction was also protested by a non-governmental organization namely Calcutta Samaritan. The members of the said organisation informed our fact finding team that on the day of the incident they also did not get any information of such eviction from local police station. The said members of Calcutta Samaritan further told that they met with the local Councilor Ms. Namita Das but she told that she did not know anything about the incident. She also told that the Park and Square Department of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation knows about such type of eviction because the said department planned to make a park in that place.
Then our fact finding team went to local Kolkata Municipal Corporation Office (Borough-I) which is located near Tala Bridge. Our team tried to pursue the matter first in the engineering department of the municipal corporation. But our team found that the Chief Engineer was not in the office, so the team contacted him over telephone and he told the team to meet the officials of Solid Waste Management Department at the office of Kolkata Municipal Corporation at S.N. Banerjee Road.
On 18.8.2009 our fact finding team and some members of Calcutta Samaritan went to the head office Kolkata Municipal Corporation at S.N. Banerjee Road. First the team talked with Mr. A.K. Sarkar, head of the Solid Waste Management Department. He told us that the order for removal of any type illegal houses and hawkers comes from the police department. The area and the date of action are fixed by the police department only. To remove illegal occupants notice needs to be issued only once and there is no need to issue subsequent notice. In the mean time he instructed his peon to bring the copy of order of eviction. He studied it carefully and told that on 16.8.2009 no such eviction order was issued. He also added that the date of the incident being a Sunday his department was not attached with any such type of eviction.
Then the team moved to the Park and Square Department and talked with Mr. Somnath Sen, Executive Engineer of the said department. He told the fact finding team that he was not in charge of evacuating any footpath dwellers. He further told that on 17.8.2009 in the evening Mr. Babloo, brother of Ms. Namita Das, local councilor of Ashubabur Bazar area called him up and informed him that the footpath has been vacated from the dwellers and he can start the project of the park. So accordingly he sent "Usha Enterprise" to the area. "Usha Enterprise" took the charge of building a park there. He added that he had no power to do such type of removal and the local councilor and the local police station was definitely aware of these facts.
On 18.8.2009 our fact finding team again went to Tala Police Station to meet the Officer-in-Charge Mr. Naba Kumar Datta. He told that the footpath dwellers were repeatedly informed to leave the place but they did not pay any attention. They were told to leave the place every year before Durga Puja festival. They commit nuisance making the place dirty. They also make the park road dirty. He further told that on 16.8.2009 Mr. Deb Kumar Chakraborty, an official from the central office of Kolkata Municipal Corporation at S.N. Banerjee Road, Kolkata came with a removal order of the dwellers from the said footpath. He was accompanied with the police personnel from Lal Bazar Police Station and even lady police personnel were also with him. He also added that the residents of the MIG quarters complained against those footpath dwellers for a long time. Moreover a park is to be made in that place also. So a quick action was taken by the police. The very day, of the receipt of the letter from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation police force ran and started eviction by force. It is evident that there was no prior notice served upon the evictees by the Municipal authorities neither by the police nor any other authorities.
Names and other particulars of the victims/evictees:
1) Mr. Jamat Ali Seikh (25 years) - rickshaw puller.
Wife: Ms. Rahima Bibi (20 years), maid servant.
Son: Babusona (6 years)
Son: Alamgir (5 years)
2) Mr. Ali Baksh Molla (25 years), rickshaw puller
Wife: Ms. Mamata Bibi (20 years), maid servant
Son: Mithun Molla (4 years 6 months)
3) Mr. Ketab Sardar (40 years), rickshaw puller
Wife: Ms. Jabeda Bibi (30 years), maid servant
Son: Jakir Sardar (11 years)
Son: Samir Sardar (9 years)
Daughter: Ruki Khatun (7 years)
4) Mr. Amir Seikh (25 years), rickshaw puller
Wife: Ms. Samiran Bibi (20 years), maid servant
Daughter: Sonali Khatun (6 years)
Daughter: Rupali Khatun (3 years)
Son: Rahim Seikh (1 year 6 months)
5) Mr. Jamir Seikh (30 years), rickshaw puller
Wife: Ms. Madina Bibi (25 years), maid servant
Daughter: Serina Khatun (11 years)
Daughter: Rekina Khatun (8 years)
Daughter: Amirul Khatun (6 years)
Daughter: Chaina Khatun (3 years)
Daughter: Jesmina Khatun (2 years)
Daughter: Dostu Khatun (3 months)
6) Mr. Nejam Seikh (40 years), rickshaw puller
Wife: Ms. Aikha Bibi (25 years), maid servant
Son: Rafiqul Seikh (15 years)
Son: Sabikul Seikh (12 years)
Son: Raju Seikh (10 years)
Daughter: Muslima Khatun (8 years)
Daughter: Taslima Khatun (7 years)
7) Mr. Ayan Ali Seikh (50 years) garbage collector
Wife: Ms. Sahar Jaan Bibi (40 years) house wife
8) Mr. Hossain Ali Sardar (50 years) van-rickshaw puller
Wife: Ms. Akirun Bibi (40 years) house wife
9) Ms. Ayen Bibi (40 years)
Husband: Late Rahim Fakir
Son: Mr. Laltu Fakir (30 years) rickshaw puller
10) Mr. Sajal Das (45 years) works in a tea shop.
Wife: Ms. Jhuma Das (30 years), maid servant
Son: Subrata Das (12 years)
Daughter: Soma Das (8 years)
11) Mr. Joy Lal Fakir (50 years) rickshaw puller
Wife: Ms. Alojaan Bibi (45 years) collects garbage paper
12) Mr. Sona Hanri (30 years) rickshaw puller
Wife: Ms. Debi Hanri (22 years) house wife
Son: BIshal Hanri (8 years)
Son: Sahil Hanri (3 years)
Son: Akaash Hanri (2 years)
13) Mr. Chandan Saha (25 years) runs a tea and tobacco shop
Mother: Ms. Tulsi Das (55 years)
14) Mr. Jar Baksh Molla (27 years) rickshaw puller
Wife: Ms. Nasima Bibi (25 years), maid servant
Brother: Ashrad Molla (22 years) Van-rickshaw puller
Son: Mahijun Molla (10 years)
15) Mr. Sambhu Mallick (20 years) rickshaw puller
Wife: Ms. Mala Mallick (18 years) house wife
Daughter: Puja Mallick (9 months)
16) Mr. Sirajul Sardar (25 years) rickshaw puller
Wife: Ms. Masuda Bibi (20 years) maid servant
Daughter: Jasmina Khatun (2years)
17) Mr. Sahenal Sardar (25 years) rickshaw puller
Wife: Ms. Marijaan Bibi (20 years) maid servant
Son: Sabiqul Sardar (2 years)
Daughter: Sabina Yasmin (4years 6 months)
Daughter: Rejina Yasmin (2 months)
18) Mr. Dedar Ali Mollah (35 years) rickshaw puller
Wife: Ms. Saher Ranu Bibi (30 years) maid servant
Son: Dil Mohammad Mollah (10 years)
Son: Noor Mohammad Mollah (8 years)
Son: Ali Hossain Mollah (6 years)
Son: Noor Hossain Mollah (4 years)
Son: MOinuddin Mollah (2 years)
19) Mr. Anil Hari (20 years) rickshaw puller
Wife: Ms. Puja Hari (17 years) maid servant
Mother: Ms. Saraswati Hari (40 years) house wife
20) Mr. Kajal Fakir (25 years) rickshaw puller
Wife: Ms. Amirul Bibi (22 years) house wife
21) Mr. Iran Ali Mollah (55 years) labour
Wife: Ms. Chabijaan Bibi (50 years) house wife
22) Mr. Mohit Paaji (25 years) rickshaw puller
Wife: Ms. Somana Bibi House wife
Son: Safiqul Paaji (7 years)
Daughter: Rubina Khatun (5 years)
Daughter: Rubhid Khatun (4 years)
23) Mr. Jahanara Bibi (40 years) maid servant
Son in law: Mr. Aaijun Mollah (25 years) rickshaw puller
Daughter: Fatma Bibi (19 years) house wife
Grandson: Babusona (4years 6 months)
Son: Khokon Mollah (21 years) rickshaw puller
24) Mr. Sahajan Mollah (35 years) rickshaw puller
Wife: Ms. Fajila Bibi (20 years) house wife
Son: Hafiqul (5 years)
Son: Madijul (3 years)
25) Ms. Ayeja Bewa (30 years) maid servant
Son: Raju Shikari (10 years)
Daughter: Firja Khatun (5 years)
26) Mr. Sajan Fakir (30 years) rickshaw puller
Wife: Ms. Rahima Bibi (28 years) maid servant
Son: Soleman Fakir (6 years)
Daughter: Rulamina Khatun (4 years)
Daughter: Sabina Khatun (2 years)
27) Mr. Sahar Ali Mollah (30 years) rickshaw puller
Wife: Ms. Halisa Bibi (20 years) maid servant
Daughter: Achirul Khatun (14 years)
Daughter: Abul Kalam Mollah (10 years)
28) Mr. Amul Sardar (22 years) rickshaw puller
Wife: Ms. Jaman Bibi(19 years) house wife
--
Kirity Roy
Secretary
Banglar Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha
(MASUM)
&
National Convenor (PACTI)
Programme Against Custodial Torture & Impunity
26 Guitendal Lane
Howrah 711101
West Bengal INDIA
Mobile: 09903099699
Tele Fax : +91-33-2640 4118
Phone: +91-33-2640 4520
e. mail : kirityroy@gmail.com
Web: www.masum.org.in
Attachment(s) from Kirity Roy
1 of 1 File(s)
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