Police brutality: Uncertain Future for the Athlete of Lalgarh

It happened on the 19th of June, 2009. Police and paramilitary forces had just started joint operations in Lalgarh, West Bengal to evict the ‘Maoist’ terrorists from the tribal zone.

While proceeding towards Pingboni, the group of armed men met this 21 year old athlete Anup Mondal. Anup was returning from a friend’s place on a bicycle. Somehow the look of this tough young man irked the armed personnel and they started beating him up. He was severely beaten and his cycle was smashed.

Anup is a well-known runner and his name is known through the district. He got many awards in district and inter-district competitions. His dream was to join the state level marathon. Poverty was the main hindrance. Still he managed to complete his graduation last year and carries on his athletic practices.

Anup’s father Dasarath Mondal of Umrapota village in Goaltor is a hawker. He was stunned at this sudden attack and told the reporters that he could not believe that they could beat up Anup, like this – simply without any provocation. ‘They could detain him, question him and even arrest him if anything suspicious was found’ he said. But they broke his left arm and badly wounded his legs and he felt severe pain in his waist. ‘Why?’-asks Dasarath. Anup’s mother Chanchala is a housewife and Anup is the elder of the two sons in this poor family. Anup was in bed, his whole body covered with bruises, his childhood dream of becoming a runner shattered.

Finally the injured Anup filed a complaint at the Goaltor Police station. He also appealed to the Superintendent of Police, West Midnapur and the Human Rights Commission. He says that he expected, with the coming of armed forces, normalcy would be restored in the area. Earlier he had only heard about police atrocities, now he experienced it on his person. On his complaint, the police wanted to settle the matter by paying money.

No, Anup Mondal of Goaltor wants justice; he wants that the aberrant policemen should be severely punished.

[News & photo courtesy: Ananda Bazar Patrika, 12.07.09]