Calcutta HC orders preservation of all evidence in the alleged case of torture in the custodial system

Kolkata 9 Sep : The Calcutta High Court has directed police to save the CCTV footage from the Golf Green Police Station, video recordings of the autopsy performed on one Dipankar Sha and the call logs of three Kolkata Police personnel accused of torturing him and give copies to the courts.

In the writ petition Rajib Saha - an Opposition leader in West Bengal - claimed that the police in the state operate as a supplementary force of the ruling Trinamool Congress and prayed for an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the death of his brother, who was a citizen of Azadgarh in the south of Kolkata.The Kolkata Police has closed three of its employees including a sergeant and an officer from the civic police in this investigation.

The state has also set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was also set up by the state.As per the petitioner he had organized an event to protest against the purported fraud perpetrated by Trinamool Congress leaders on July 27.This upset the partys ruling.At around 12.30 at night on the 31st of July, policemen removed his brother, 34, Dipankar Saha from their house with force despite protests by their mother Arati.The police officers refused to produce an arrest warrant, or any other evidence to support his detention as "questioning".

Dipankar Saha, a tiny time-trader was brutally beaten at an unidentified location .He returned home at about 10 pm with injuries all over his body.Afterward, Dipankar Saha complained of unease and visited an emergency room, but concealed his scars since the police had threatened him should he would have complained.

On the 4th of August, he fell ill and was declared to death at the hospital run by the government, M R Bangur Hospital.The autopsy report indicated it was evident that Dipankar Saha had severe injuries to his body and died due to organ failure within the body.

The Kolkata Police have suspended the three suspects - Sergeant Amitava Tamang, Constable Taimur Ali, and Civic Police Volunteer Aftab Mondol -of the Golf Green Police Station.of the Golf Green Police Station and were charged under Section 304 of the IPC (Culpable Homicide, not amounting to murder).

On Thursday, the state attorney stated in the courtroom that all evidence must be given to the court according to instructions.Justice Mantha then directed the Central Forensic Science Laboratory, Kolkata to finish the examination of the viscera of the victim as well as other specimens within one week and then submit an examination report to the SIT within one week.

The date of hearings has been set for September 21.SIT will present an account to the court regarding the progress made in the probe.jayanta/pg.