INDIA: Death of a young boy in a state sponsored agitation in Siliguri, West Bengal 

Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information from MASUM, a human rights organisation in West Bengal, about the death of a young student who received injuries in a clash between students and supporters of the Siliguri Unit of Student Federation of India (SFI) in Siliguri Hindi High School, West Bengal.

On 25 May 2005, the SFI, Siliguri unit, affiliated to the ruling party of West Bengal, called for a protest against the increase of tuition fees in Siliguri Hindi High School. As they broke into the school premises, some students who were already inside, protested against this agitation. In the ensuing violence, Sonu Kumar Patel was seriously injured and died enroute to the District hospital. Contrary to this, the students of the High school claim that the SFI supporters were asked to sit in the school office following the clash while the police took over and resorted to lathi (baton) charge against the students.

The police claim that they have arrested two people in connection with this case and produced them before the court.

It is evident that since the SFI is a student organisation of the state government, the agitation was state sponsored and no attempts were made to stop the agitators from breaking into the school and damaging property. There has also been no investigation into the death of Sonu Patel. In light of this we ask you to intervene and immediately write to the Director General of Police, West Bengal, asking him to order a thorough and impartial investigation and punish all those responsible for the victim’s death. The state government must also be asked to pay compensation to the victim’s family.

Urgent Appeals Desk
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
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DETAILED INFORMATION:

Name of the victim: Sonu Kumar Patel, age 16 years, son of Lakhan Singh
Address: Siliguri District, Jalpaiguri, West Bengal
Place of incident: Siliguri Hindi High School, Siliguri
Alleged perpetrators:
1. Supporters and leaders of SFI, Siliguri local committee and
2. Police officers responsible for inaction.
Date of incident: 25 May 2005

Case Details:

On 25 May 2005, the Siliguri unit of the Student Federation of India (SFI), a student organisation of the Communist Party (Marxist), the ruling party in West Bengal called for a agitation against the increase in tuition fees in Siliguri Hindi High School. Calling for a student strike, the supporters of SFI, broke into the school compound and damaged property.

Some students who were already inside the classrooms protested against the enforced strike and this resulted in a clash between the two groups of people. However, the students claim that the SFI supporters were asked to sit inside the school office by the police who then resorted to lathi (baton) charge against the students. In the violence that followed, Sonu Patel, a student of class X, was seriously injured. He was admitted to a nearby private health centre and died while subsequently being taken to the District hospital.

It is alleged that Satyen Bannerjee, the School Headmaster, had asked the agitators to resolve their problems through peaceful discussions but they refused to do so and instead resorted to indiscriminate violence.

The next day, Chhatra Parishad, a student wing of the National Congress Party and Democratic Students’ organisation (D.S.O), another student outfit of an opposition party called for a students’ strike.

The police allege that one of the perpetrators of the violence, Arindam (alias Bhombal Dam) was arrested and produced before the court along with another boy who is being kept in police custody under court directions (case no: 154 of 2005 under section 341/325/304 of the Indian Penal Code).

Police inaction in cases involving those in power are very frequent in India, this incident being a clear example. Since the SFI is affiliated to the party in power, it is evident that the police did little to either stop the organised agitation or the damage to school property that followed. There has also been no investigation into events leading to the young boy’s death. Out of all the agitators, only one person has been arrested so far.

SUGGESTED ACTION:

Please send a letter to the Director General of Police asking him to immediately order an impartial investigation into the incident by an independent authority.

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