REPORTS in a Bengali national daily on Sunday showed an instance of police brutality on its Bauphal correspondent who was tortured, both physically and mentally while in police custody till he lost consciousness. The reports said a medical board on Monday had confirmed severe physical torture and marks of injuries on his body. News report said police arrested the newsman from Kalaiya Bazar area in the morning of March 17 on charge of assaulting an assistant sub-inspector of Bauphal Police Station. He was immediately beaten and then taken to police station where he was tortured again apparently taking revenge in presence of other local newsmen representing national dailies. He was failing to stand without support. The following day, he was produced before the judicial magistrate’s court who sent him to jail.
We cannot say that he was tortured as a journalist, because it is known to all and to everybody’s consternation that torture by police has become part of our justice system and anybody may become victim anytime. Such a situation is most worrisome as because the police are law enforcers. But those who can flout constitutional injunctions against torture, cannot be trusted as honest law enforcers. And when the police are not law enforcers, rather the Constitution and law violators, then they become dangerous for society and it is disgraceful for the police.
As the story has come out in the press and if the police are to be believed, then we have to say the journalist behaved abominably by assaulting a police officer. A true journalist will not be so irresponsible.
But we expect the police are to be responsible and ideal police so that we can be proud of them. It is not unknown that police are too much used politically and as a result the police enjoy indulgences which is degeneration of the police force.
High police officials have a special responsibility to save the police as law enforcers. Anybody in police using torture must receive proper disciplinary action.
We want the whole matter should be investigated and dealt with the matter truthfully, for a good police force working for protection of the people.
