Item No.8

22.04.2025 ct.no.35 WPA 5591 of 2025 (Suman)

Sushrita Saren & Ors.

Versus The State of West Bengal & Ors.

Mr. Jayanta Narayan Chatterjee, Sr. Adv.

Mr. Sirshendu Sinha Roy Mr. Kartik Kumar Roy Mr. Debashis Banerjee Mr. Supreem Naskar Ms. Jayashree Patra Ms. Pritha Sinha Mr. Rakesh Jana … For the Petitioners.

Mr. Kishore Datta, ld. AG Mr. Swapan Banerjee, ld. AGP Ms. Sumita Shaw Mr. Soumen Chatterjee … For the State-Respondent(s)

The petitioners approached this Court being aggrieved by the inaction of the Police Authorities, including the Superior Police Officers of the District of Paschim Medinipur, to that effect Petitioner No. 1 sent an e-mail dated 06.03.2024 but the same was not responded, as such she along with others approached this Court. It was alleged that on 3rd March, 2025, in course of peaceful protest being carried out, the officers of All Women Police Station, Medinipur, along with other Police Personnel, illegally arrested the petitioner, along with others, and they were subjected to brutal physical and mental torture.

Petitioner No. 1 is the informant, who is Post Graduate in Santhali, having passed out from Vidyasagar University in the year 2018, she qualified in NET Examination in the year 2020 and SET Examination in the year 2023. She also qualified in her B.Ed Examination in the year

2021.

Petitioner Barnali Nayak passed out from Aliah University in the year 2024, she is Post Graduate in Mathematics, presently pursuing her B.Ed course from Bankim Behari Teachers Training Institute.

Petitioner Ranusree Bej, passed out from Vidyasagar University in the year 2017, being Post Graduate in Bengali, and she subsequently completed her B.Ed course in the year 2020 from Jhargram Sebyatan College.

Petitioner Tanusree Bej, is Post Graduate, from Vidyasagar University in English, and passed out in the year 2014.

All the four petitioners are members of All India Democratic Students’ Organization, (AIDSO).

Petitioners approached this Court as they claim that their Fundamental Rights as well as statutory rights were deliberately violated by the police authorities within and outside the police station. It has been further claimed that they were illegally detained and were subjected to inhuman torture, within the police station, and after the same was brought to the notice of the superior officers, instead of taking steps against the erring officers, they were shielded. In order to elaborate on the background of the incidents complained of, it has been pleaded that on March 1, 2025, there was a public announcement and press release on behalf of AIDSO that the organization would call for a student’s strike at the Colleges and Universities throughout West Bengal on March 3, 2025. As such the petitioners and four others who were members of AIDSO arrived at the Gate No. 1 of Vidyasagar University at Rangamati, Midnapore, for participating in a peaceful demonstration and rally in protest against the incidents of torture and assault of students at Jadavpur University on March 1, 2025.

It has been further stated that as soon as the petitioners arrived at Gate No. 1 of Vidyasagar University on March 3, 2025, at around 10.15 A.M., they were confronted by a group of sixty (60) Police Personnel, including lady police personnel and other Police officers who were already present there. The police officers'/personnel, without any provocation and without affording any opportunity to the petitioners, came down heavily upon the petitioners and started assaulting them with lathis, fists, blows and boots. As a result of such severe assault, the petitioners suffered grave injuries and the petitioner No. 3, namely Ranushree Bej, became unconscious. The petitioners and other four protesters were then forced into two separate prison vans, which headed towards the Kotwali police station and as the petitioner Ranushree Bej was still lying unconscious inside the prison van, the petitioners begged the escorting officers for medical facility, but no polic