One widow died in police custody demands impartial investigation
On 18th August at early
morning Ms. Chumki Mondal was scolded by her mother in law; Mayarani Mondal
(deceased) over some petty family matter. It heartened Chumki and she
consumed poison. She was taken to Mr. Maharam Ali; a quack of that locality,
by her in laws along with some villagers. He advised them to take her to
Bahrampore Hospital immediately. According to the in laws of Chumki, she
died on the way to the Hospital. They returned back home thereafter. Many of
the villagers collaborated and narrated the whole episode alike.
Mr. Kartick Mondal; father of Chumki, residing at an adjoining village came
to the spot and later lodged a written complaint at Murshidabad Police
Station (PS). Police initiated a criminal case vide Murshidabad PS case No.
391/10 dated 18/08/2010 under sections 498A (subjecting a married woman to
cruelty) / 304B (dowry death)/ 34 (criminal acts done by several persons in
furtherance of common intention) of Indian Penal Code (IPC) against Mr.
Monoj Mondal; Husband of Chumki, Mr. Prakash Mondal; Uncle in Law of Chumki
and Ms. Mayarani Mondal; Mother in Law of Chumki.
Around 12.30 pm on 18th August 2010 a team of policemen comprising 5-6
police personnel along with Mr. Lakhai; a Dom (Dom: person from schedule
cast community; carrying dead bodies), without any female police person from
Murshidabad PS led by Sub Inspector Mr. Swapan Biswas of the said PS came to
the house of Chumki’s in laws and arrested Ms. Mayarani Mondal. Police did
not prepare any memo of arrest at the spot of arrest. She was then taken to
the said PS by the police team. At the same time Lakhai took possession of
Chumki’s body and started for mortuary. Police decided that Chumki was
already “dead” without getting any opinion of any medical practitioner. The
family members also informed our fact finding team that at the time of
arrest while Mayarani told the police personnel that she was on fasting for
last 24 hours and requested them to allow some times for getting food, they
verbally abused her by using slang and filthy words and did not pay any heed
on her request.
Next day, i.e. on 19th August 2010 around 5 am one police personnel;
attached with Hasanpur A.D.P. (Anti Dacoity Police) Camp came to Mr. Prakash
Mondal and informed him that Ms. Mayarani Mondal was hospitalized at Lalbag
Sub-Divisional Hospital by the police. Soon Mr. Prakash Mondal, Mr. Monoj
Mondal along with few of his relatives and some of his neighbors rushed to
the hospital. They came to know that Mayarani already passed away at the
female ward of the hospital. Thereafter they went to Murshidabad PS and
talked to Sub Inspector Mr. Swapan Biswas. Mr. Biswas informed them that on
19th August 2010 around 2 am (last night) suddenly Mayarani became ill and
she was hospitalized and after around half an hour she breathed her last at
the hospital. Around 2 pm on the same day Mr. Samar Kumar Ghosh conducted
the inquest of the dead body. Around 4.30 pm the dead body was taken to
morgue of Lalbag Sub-Divisional hospital by police and around 5.30 pm Doctor
Krishnendu Kumar Chakraborty performed the post mortem examination (PME) of
the dead body. It was mentioned in the ‘Disposal Order of Dead Body’,
prepared by Dr. Chakraborty, that the cause of death was ‘Cardio respiratory
failure due to unknown poisoning’. Here one question is arising, if this
finding is true then how poison reached to her while she was in police
custody?
On 21st August 2010 our fact finding team talked to Mr. Monoj Mondal in
presence of around 50 villagers, about the death of Mayarani Mondal and he
informed our team that they noticed few injury marks at the cheek of the
dead body of Mayarani. Monoj as well as some of the villagers namely
Kalipada Mondal, Jiten Mondal, Bijan Mondal, Hirak Mondal, Amit Mondal,
Adhir Mondal expressed their doubt before our team that Mayarani was
physically tortured at the police custody and she was taken to the hospital
by the police after her death. It was also alleged by some of the patients
who were hospitalized at the female word of Lalbag Sub-Divisional Hospital
namely Ms. Sarfunnesa Bewa wife of Late Hemaj Seikh of Habaspur Mathpara,
PS- Bhagabangola, Ms. Joli Khatun daughter of Mr. Masum Mian of village Teka
Raipur under PS- Islampur, District- Murshidabad, that Mayarani was brought
dead to the hospital.
On 23rd August our team asked Mr. B.P.Shaw; the Superintendent of Lalbag
Sub-Divisional Hospital, about the cause of death of Mayarani. He told our
team to talk to Mr. Pradip Dutta; Ward Master of the said hospital. Mr.
Dutta informed our FF team that Mayarani was examined at the hospital while
Dr. Humayun Kabir was on duty at Emegency Ward and she was under treatment
of Dr. Sandip Chandra. Mr. Dutta also showed the register maintained at
emergency ward of the hospital where name of Mayarani was enrolled vide
entry no 2231 (page 178). According to the register the she was admitted due
to ‘Unconscious Pulse Feeble’.
Our team then again tried to talk with the aforesaid patients; with whom we
talked previously. Astonishingly they denied providing any further
information and it seemed that they were under some mental pressure and
threat. Our team also came to know from the family members of Mayarani that
they were also facing continuous pressure by the police for not to move
forward about the death of Mayarani.
One specific complaint against the police officers was lodged before the
Superintendent of Police, Murshidabad on 24th August 2010 but no police case
was registered neither any police investigation was initiated.