BEHRAMPORE: About 40-odd NGOs of Murshidabad met at a seminar in Behrampore to discuss the alleged BSF and police torture on civilians in the border
areas of Murshidabad.

“The number of cases of human rights violation by police and BSF is increasing every day. District administration has ignored our repeated prayers. No case against BSF jawans has been lodged even when in the last 18 months, BSF jawans have killed 34 innocent villagers merely based on suspicion at Raninagar alone. This number will cross 100 if the other areas near Murshidabad are taken into account. In 2003, Nation Human Rights Commission had said a murder case can be started against those jawans who have gunned down any civilian. However, till date, no Murshidabad PS has lodged such a case,” alleged Kirity Roy, secretary of MASUM, the NGO that organized the seminar.

“BSF jawans keep a sickle beside the body to prove they were attacked. But till date, we haven’t found any jawan who was injured in the attack by civilians or smugglers,” he alleged. “Many girls of Katlamari, Char Rajanagar and Udaynagar have given up studies because of eve-teasing by BSF jawans. Police do not register such complaints either,” claimed Roy.

The state is also indifferent to anomalies in distribution of BPL cards here and so, poor people are taking up dishonest means for livelihood, he claimed.