The protests were part of the State-wide university and college boycott call issued by the Students Federation of India (SFI), the student wing of Communist Party of India (Marxist), to condemn the violence that took place in Kolkata’s Jadavpur University on March 1.
| Photo Credit: ANI
Women students from West Bengal’s Medinipur College have alleged custodial torture at the hands of the local police after they participated in protests on their campus on March 3. The students have filed a case in the Calcutta High Court on the issue. The police have denied their claims.
The protests were part of the State-wide university and college boycott call issued by the Students Federation of India (SFI), the student wing of Communist Party of India (Marxist), to condemn the violence that took place in Kolkata’s Jadavpur University on March 1. Many colleges across districts observed the protests in solidarity. Political clashes broke out at several places across the State.
In Medinipur College, female students have alleged that they were taken into police custody without any proper cause or due process. One student, Sucharita Das, told journalists that she had been tortured physically and mentally while in police custody. “They also passed sexual comments on me. They verbally abused me. The police have become an arm of the ruling party and do not have any independence or unbiased functioning,” she alleged.
‘Hit by TMC goons’
When Ms. Das and her peers were protesting, Trinamool Congress goons allegedly hit multiple women students. The students have alleged that, instead of interfering and holding the TMC goons accountable, the local police had tortured the women instead.
Debanjan Dey, West Bengal SFI State secretary told The Hindu that Ms. Das was finally released at 2:30 a.m. on March 4, after hours of torture.
Dritiman Sarkar, Superintendent of Police, Paschim Medinipur, has refuted the claims. He said: “This leftist organisation is trying to make an issue out of this. I have received a viral audio where the district secretary is saying that we have found a good issue, create pressure on the police and take them to court.”
The affected students of Medinipur college have filed a case at the Calcutta High Court against the alleged custodial police torture. Justice Tirthankar Ghosh is likely to hear the case soon, but a date has not been set yet. Previously, two Public Interest Litigations had also been filed at the Calcutta High Court, complaining about the alleged “police inaction” and the “non-neutral stance” of the police during the March 1 protests.
Published – March 06, 2025 10:36 pm IST