Pramila Barman a minor girl allegedly raped and burnt alive at Kumargunge in South Dinajpur, West Bengal.

Fact finding report on

Pramila Barman a minor girl allegedly raped and burnt alive at Kumargunge in South Dinajpur, West Bengal.

JAI BHIM INDIA NETWORK, AMALA FARM and CULTURAL CENTER
Organized by: HUMAN RIGHTS LAW NETWORK  

1)    Saradindu Biswas

2)    Monika Barman and

3)    Sujoy Chakraborty

 Date: 31.01.2020

The Fact:
A burnt body, bitten by the stray dogs was found on 06.01.2020, Monday morning by the local people near a culvert at Belkhor area of Safanagar Gram Panchayat under Kumargunge Police jurisdiction. The local people found smoke coming out from the culvert hole and some stray dogs were fighting over the 90% burnt flesh of a dead body. The body was cut into pieces. Blood spots were found on the wall of the culvert. There was a cut sign on her neck. One hand completely burnt and detached from her body.

The body found in an open paddy field near a culvert.   The local people came across.  Seeing the horrifying incident they informed the Police.  As soon as possible the Kumargunje police came to the spot and recorded the body. Police sent the body to Balurghat District Hospital for post-mortem. Prima facie it reveals that the girl might have been gang-raped, body cut into pieces and then to destroy the evidence poured petrol set on fire. On 06.01.2020 Monday the body was identified by the victim’s parents as she is their daughter Pramila Barman.

Promila Barman a Dalit girl:  

Pramila Barman a 18 year old dalit girl belongs to Rajbangshi community of Panchagram village of Safanagar Gram Panchayat under Kumargunge police station, Balurghat district appeared Madhyamik Examination last year from Phulbari High School. Her father Khudu Barman is a farmar and mother Malati Barman is a house wife. Her elder brother Biswajit Barman is a daily laborer meets the family needs with a very poor earnings.      
 On 05.01.2020 Sunday morning Mehebur Mian of Panchagram, PS- Gangarampur Pankaj Barman of Moshapara, PS- Tapan and Goutam Barman of Krishnabati, PS- Tapan came to the village to meet with Promila and asked her to meet with them at Phulbari Bazar. At noon Promila went to Phulbari Bazar for purchasing a shawl for the winter season. Her mobile was squished off after she went to Phulbari Bazar. Her parents went for a search to the relatives’ house when she was not returning home at night. The very next day they heard that a burnt body of a girl was found at Belkhar area of Safanagar by the local people and police took the body to Balurghat District Hospital for post-mortem.

Khudu Barman father of Promila Barman, her mother Malati Barman and her elder brother Biswajit Barman went to Balurghat District Hospital and identify the dead body as Promila Barman.

After coming back Khudu Barman the father of the victim Promila Barman lodged a FIR at the Kumargunge PS against Mehebur Mian (20) of Panchagram, Pankaj Barman (20) of Mashapara and Goutam Barman (19) of Krishnabati of Tapan PS accusing them as rapist and murderer of her girl.  In a written FIR he claimed that these three criminals allegedly raped her daughter and burnt her and kept her body inside the hole of the culvert situated to the Belkhor area  of Safanagar Gram Panchayat under Kumargunge Police jurisdiction.     

After the preliminary investigation Kumargunj Police has arrested three accused on 07.01.2020 in connection with the rape-murder-burn case and presented them before the Balurghat Session Court, South Dinajpur district. Police took them in custody after Balurghat Session Court permitted 10 days remand. 

Anger of local people generated agitation: 

The brutal incident generated anger and indignation among the common people. Her relatives, villagers, students and the teachers blocked the National Highway at Fulbari. Raised slogans “JUSTICE FOR PROMILA BARMAN” and demanded remarkable punishment for the rapist and murderer.     

Member of the family, villagers demanded capital punishment of the criminals:  

 After reaching the house of Promila Barman on  31.01.2020 we found a police camp is set in front the house of the family. Some police men were posted there. We met with Khudu Barman, Malati Barman and Biswajit Barman and requested them to share the problems they have been facing for long time. Some local people also shared the fact and incident what they found that day. Biswajit Barman the elder brother of Promila Barman said that “the criminals are arrested but we are in fear. On 29.01.2020 at night some unknown person attacked our house. When the villagers and police came and opposed they had runaway through the jangle. We are under house arrested now. We have no right to go outside without the police permission. How long we have to stay like this condition? West Bengal government has given us Rs. 412000 as compensation. We think it is not the justice. We demanded capital punishment to the criminals who allegedly raped and burnt alive my sister”.  Biswajit helped us to get the documents and made his father agree to give thump impression in VAKALATNAMA of High Court.