Home ministry asked to compensate kin of BSF torture victim

The NHRC has asked the home ministry to compensate the family of a man who was allegedly tortured and killed by Border Security Force personnel in West Bengal in March 2007.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has asked the home ministry to compensate the family of a man who was allegedly tortured and killed by Border Security Force (BSF) personnel in West Bengal in March 2007.

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NHRC took up the case after receiving a complaint from the Asian Centre for Human Rights (ACHR), a Delhi-based NGO that works towards promotion and protection of human rights in Asia.

Welcoming the NHRC's move, Suhas Chakma of ACHR said in a statement Friday that the family of 19-year-old Masud Rana Sarkar of West Bengal alleged that he was tortured and killed by the personnel of 72nd BSF at Daudpur village in West Bengal on March 5, 2007.

"The General Security Force Court (GSFC) of the BSF exonerated all the five accused BSF personnel who were tried for committing the offence. The Director General of the BSF requested the NHRC to close the case without providing the grounds on which the accused personnel were exonerated in the first place," Chakma said.

"However, a magisterial enquiry report submitted by the district magistrate of south Dinajpur clearly established that a group of BSF personnel caused grievous injuries to the victims, including two women and the deceased died due to the injuries," he added.

Based on the magisterial inquiry, the NHRC recommended to the ministry of home affairs to pay compensation to the victim's family and submit proof of payment and compliance report within six weeks, Chakma stated.