पुष्पराज से नंदीग्राम पुलिस की बेहूदगी

नंदीग्राम की घटनाओं पर ‘नंदीग्राम डायरी’ लिखने वाले पुष्पराज को पिछले दिनों नंदीग्राम पुलिस ने बेवजह हिरासत में ले लिया. करीब पांच घंटे बाद उन्हें छोड़ा गया. आरोप है कि पांच घंटे के दौरान स्थानीय पुलिस ने पुष्पराज के साथ अमानवीय व्यवहार किया. पुष्पराज के मुताबिक वे अपनी रचना ‘नंदीग्राम डायरी’ को अपडेट करने के लिए ताजा जानकारियां जुटाना चाहते थे. इसी गरज से वह नंदीग्राम पहुंचे थे. स्थानीय लोगों से वह बातें कर रहे थे. एक बार उन्हें सादे लिबास में आए दो लोगों ने रोका. उन लोगों ने जानना चाहा कि वे कौन हैं. जब बताया नहीं तो उन लोगों ने मोबाइल से तस्वीर खींची और किसी से बात की. थोड़ी ही देर में नदीग्राम थाने की पुलिस पहुंची और हिरासत में ले लिया. पुलिस ने उनका फोन, कैमरा सब छीन लिया. पुष्पराज के मुताबिक जब उन्होंने अपना परिचय लेखक के रूप में दिया तो पुलिसवालों ने उन्हें गंदी गंदी गालियां दीं और अमानवीय बर्ताव किया.

इस पूरे मामले से संबंधित खबर प्रभात खबर में विस्तार से प्रकाशित हुई है. पढ़ने के लिए क्लिक करें- फिर दिखा नंदीग्राम पुलिस का अमानवीय चेहरा.

पुष्पराज ने अपने साथ हुए बर्ताव को लेकर राष्ट्रीय मानवाधिकार आयोग के अध्यक्ष जस्टिस केजी बालाकृष्णन को जो पत्र लिखा है, वो इस प्रकार है-

To

Mr. Jusice K. G. Balaksishnan,

Hon’ble Chairman,

National Human Rights Commission,

New Delhi.

Sub: Illegal detention and torture by Nandigram Police (East Midnapur district, West Bengal) on 18.06.2010 for five hours.

Respected Sir,

I, Pushpraj (resident of Bihar) author of Nandigram Diary published in Hindi by Penguin, India had gone to visit Nandigram with a view to updating the book on the present situation existing over there. I had been visiting Nandigram since 17th March, 2007 as freelance journalist and I am keeping continuous vigil about the situation prevailing at Nandigram. This time, I was in Nandigram since 16.06.2010 along with a trainee journalist-cum-photographer Chinmayanand.

On 18.06.2010, I along with Chinmayanand had gone to the house of one of the victims (Rash Behai Khera) of Nandigram, who had received injuries through bullet in March, 2007, but could not meet him as he was away from his house. On my return, we were obstructed near Bhangabhera Bridge by two persons in civil dress, one of whom introduced himself, as Biplab Haldar, Sub-Inspector of Khejuri PS and other did not disclose his identity. They were asking – the purpose of my visit to Nandigram time and again. Both threatened us to send us in jail. After some time at about 11.20 hours, two Police Jeeps came from Nandigram PS and took us in their custody, like wanted terrorists and immediately seized our mobile phone sets. We were brought by them under strict vigilance at Nandigram PS.

S. Das, Sub-Inspector, Nandigram asked in insulting tone – passport/visa is required to visit any foreign country and from coming from Bihar to West Bengal will you not need any thing? In spite of my showing paper clippings and photographs along with the book “Nandigram Diary” including the comments of Kuldip Nayar & Prabhash Joshi about me, he did not agree to recognize me as author/journalist. When I asked about the allegations /section of IPC and the basis on which we have been taken into Police custody, S. Das threatened us in loud voice that he may detain us in the Hazat of the PS for 10 hours and mentioned that then only we will understand the power of the Police.

We were not allowed tea in spite of request of Bhabani Das, a local resident of Nandigram, who would have arranged tea from outside PS. We were feeling totally insecured due to fear and terror inside the PS. After about an hour the Officer In-charge, Sudip Chatterjee called us in his chamber and told us “without any identity Card why you are visiting Nandigram since last so many years”. I tried to convince him that a freelance Journalists and Authors don’t require any identity card to visit any place, however, I was possessing one identity card provide to me by the Sunday Post, NOIDA (Hindi weekly), which had lapsed in 2009, was shown to him. After sometime, some telephone calls came from different media persons to West Bengal Police Authorities then Sudip Chatterjee thought to release us at about 03.00 PM and informed us that he would be releasing us as there is lot of pressure from his higher authorities. He further told that we should forget whatever has happened with us. When I asked the Officer In-charge to give me in writing that why I was detained and harassed in PS, Sudip Chatterjee told that had we taken permission from Nandigram PS, we would not have faced such situation.

Police was not agreeable to provide any thing in writing, then I prepared a statement in Hindi at about 03.15 PM and requested Sudip Chatterjee to put his signature and stamp, but he was even not ready to do that. After lot of persuasion and pressure from outside, ASI put his signature and stamp. But, he put a condition that we will have to put signature on Bangla translation of the statement prepared by me in Hindi, which we had to do. Ultimately we were released at about 04.20 PM, but Sudip Chatterjee threatened that he would not be responsible for any thing untoward happening after our release from PS. It is pertinent to point out here that Police cheated us while preparing the statement in Bangla as the same is different from our statement in Hindi, which was got countersigned by ASI. This happened because we do not know Bangla language.

Nandigram Police had detained us under some political influence as my book “Nandigram Diary” is against the State Power. Our illegal detention is nothing but violation of citizen’s right and freedom of expression enshrined in our constitution.

Our prayer to your kind honour is for your kind intervention in the entire happening and ensuring necessary disciplinary action against the erring Police Officials for which we shall ever remain grateful to you. We would also pray to your kind-self to pass on necessary direction that any freelance journalist/author may be given freedom so that they can move/visit any part of India freely.

Yours faithfully,

(Pushpraj)

C/O VATAYAN,
Ayodhya Appt. near Board Office,
Frazer Road, Patna – 800001.