Kolkata Police paraded three accused shirtless and barefoot at a Behala crime scene while allegedly recreating an incident in which an 18-year-old, his father and the youth’s friend were forced to walk naked at gunpoint, triggering questions over police procedure and the treatment of suspects in custody.
The three men were taken in a police SUV to Khudiram Pally Manasatala in Sarsuna, around 36 hours after the alleged public humiliation of the victims. Ropes were tied around their waists and they were made to walk for more than 100 metres as residents gathered on both sides of the road and filmed the procession, according to a report by the Times of India.
Police and paramilitary personnel formed a human chain around the accused to prevent attacks by residents. The police said the men were being taken to the spot to “recreate the crime scene”. A senior officer told the newspaper that the police were also examining the role of at least five other people, including those who allegedly recorded videos of the victims being forced to walk naked.
The three accused are the father of a 13-year-old girl, her maternal uncle and the uncle’s friend, Shankar Shaw. The girl’s mother is the fourth accused. The girl’s parent and uncle were arrested on Monday, while Shaw was arrested early Tuesday. Police are investigating whether Shaw alerted the girl’s family after allegedly seeing the couple together and whether he provided the firearm allegedly used to threaten the victims.
According to the police complaint, the 18-year-old and his friend were taken to the girl’s house on Sunday after they were allegedly seen together. The boy’s father was later summoned and assaulted, the complaint states. The teenager told reporters that he had been speaking to the girl and holding her hand when the uncle’s friend allegedly grabbed him by the collar. He said the men then seized his friend, forced both of them into a car and threatened to shoot, stab or falsely implicate him in a rape case unless the victims agreed to be stripped and paraded.
The teenager’s father alleged that he was assaulted in front of others and threatened with a pistol. He said he was told to kill his son and had no choice but to comply with the demand that they walk naked through the locality. The allegations are part of the police case and will be subject to investigation and judicial proceedings.
The police action has itself drawn scrutiny. The Calcutta High Court observed in June that police may arrest an accused but cannot deliberately humiliate them. “Under the guise of arrest, the police cannot intentionally disgrace the accused,” the court said, according to the report.
The Association for Protection of Democratic Rights questioned the decision to parade the three accused. Its general secretary, Altaf Ahmed, asked where such a procedure was authorised and said police were expected to uphold the law rather than take the law into their own hands.
Police have said raids are under way to identify and arrest other people allegedly involved in the incident. The investigation will also examine the alleged use of the firearm, the roles of the four named accused and the people who recorded or participated in the forced parade of the victims.
