Custodial death alleged at police station in Kolkata

Family alleges custodial torture in Kolkata death; HC to hear matter on Friday. Allegations of custodial torture and death against Kolkata Police after man called to station in connection with stolen phone. Family approaches Calcutta HC; court directs filing of complaint. State BJP, TMC leaders target police; civil rights orgs demand action.

The death of a man, who was called to Kolkata’s Amherst Street Police Station in connection with the theft of a mobile phone, has triggered allegations of custodial torture and death against the police.

Family members of Ashok Shaw, a resident of Patuatola in north Kolkata, approached the Calcutta High Court on Thursday, alleging foul play in the custodial death. A Division Bench of Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya were told that within a few hours of the youth being called for questioning, the family was informed that he had passed away. The High Court has directed that the petitioner to file a complaint before the Registry and the matter will be heard on Friday.

According to the family members of the deceased, he received a call from the police that the mobile phone he was using was a stolen one and he should return it to the police. Family members said that the deceased was inside the police station for about 10 minutes, after which they had been informed that he had died. In a video that went viral on social media, a few women, who are relatives or neighbours of the deceased, were seen inside the police station, alleging the police had tortured Shaw to death. In the video, Shaw is seen lying on the floor, senseless. Cops and others are seen scooping him up and taking him out of the police station.

The Kolkata Police has denied all allegations of custodial torture and said that Shaw entered the police station at 5.43 p.m. and stepped out within the next two minutes. “He entered again and made two calls to the BJP leader at 6.02 p.m. and 6.05 p.m. An officer in the police station just started to ask him questions at 6.09 p.m. when he fell down,” a police officer said.

The State BJP leadership targeted the police over the incident. “This is not an isolated incident. This is the way police are operating across the State. Initially, the police had agreed on sharing CCTV footage, but later they refused,” State BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said. 

Trinamool Congress (TMC) spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said that the police had nothing to do with the death and the person had come to the police station on his own.

Civil rights organisations said that the death was not an isolated incident. A press statement from the Bandi Mukti Committee alleged that in the year 2022-23, 15 citizens had died in police custody in West Bengal. The civil rights organisation demanded action against the officer-in-charge and the duty officer at the Amherst Street Police Station, and added that the death should be investigated in accordance with the guidelines of the National Human Rights Commission.