The National Human Rights Commission has sought a detailed report from the Kolkata Police Commissioner over the alleged public parade of three people in partially undressed conditions in the Sarsuna area, putting the conduct of the police operation under formal rights scrutiny.
The commission took suo motu cognisance of the incident after reports that a minor boy, his father and a friend were allegedly forced to walk through the locality without shirts and with ropes tied around their waists. The three had been arrested after the minor was allegedly caught kissing his girlfriend, according to the report.
The reported police action took place on Tuesday, when officers were reconstructing the sequence of events in the case. The three people were allegedly taken through the area wearing only shorts and without shirts. The report does not provide the names of the detainees or details of the specific criminal sections applied in the underlying case.
In its communication, the NHRC said the reported facts, if correct, raised serious concerns relating to human rights. The commission has issued notice to the Kolkata Police Commissioner and asked for a detailed report within two weeks.
The notice makes the police response, rather than only the original allegation involving the minor, the immediate subject of institutional examination. A police reconstruction of events is intended to assist investigation, but the reported treatment of people in custody raises separate questions about dignity, restraint and the limits of police procedure in a public place.
The incident also places the role of senior police supervision under focus. The report identifies the Kolkata Police Commissioner as the authority required to respond to the NHRC, but it does not state whether the department has ordered an internal inquiry, suspended any personnel or issued a public explanation of the alleged parade.
The commission’s action does not, by itself, establish that the reported allegations are true. Its notice seeks the police version and the underlying facts, including the circumstances in which the three people were taken through the Sarsuna locality. The response will be relevant to determining whether the reported conduct complied with applicable law and police procedures.
The next formal step is the submission of the Kolkata Police Commissioner’s detailed report to the NHRC within two weeks. The commission’s further action will depend on the explanation and material placed before it.
