Calcutta High Court takes cognizance of teacher's plaint against police excess

Kolkata: Moidul Islam, a teacher and one of the leaders of Sikshak Oikya Mancha (Teachers' Unity Forum), -- that has been fighting against the illegal transfer of primary teachers -- have complained before the Calcutta High Court against police high-handedness.

Islam said that a large number of police gathered in front of his house at Beliaghata in North Kolkata on Thursday night and tried to force him to go to the police station.

The incident was brought to the notice of Justice Rajasekhar Mantha who immediately asked the teacher to file a case and told that, if possible, the case will be heard on Friday itself.

The incident is proving to be a huge embarrassment to the police and the Mamata Banerjee government.

Around midnight, a 200-men strong unit of the Kolkata Police cordoned of the residence of Moidul Islam and asked him to go to the police with them.

Islam who was also the candidate of Indian Secular Front in the assembly elections refused to go at night and assured that he would be at the police station in the morning.

"I am a teacher and they have come at midnight to take me to the police station. They could have sent me a notice. I am not an anti-social. No legal procedure has been followed. They were behaving with me as if I was a criminal," Islam said. However, after nearly three hours the police left the spot and Islam decided to move the court.

Five contract teachers of Sishu Shiksha Kendra (Primary School) protesting against their transfer to places far off from their homes tried to commit suicide by consuming poison in front of Bikash Bhawan -- the state education department on Tuesday evening.

The teachers -- all women -- were rushed to a government hospital where the condition of two were reported to be serious.

The Tuesday incident occurred when some contract teachers of Sishu Sikhsha Kendra were agitating against their alleged transfer to far off areas -- some 600 to 700 kilometres away from their homes. When police came and tried to move the agitating teachers, five women teachers took out bottles of poison and swallowed the content.

Sources in the police claimed that Islam is the leader of these teachers' organisation and there is specific complaint that he instigated the teachers to consume poison and his interrogation was very important for the investigation.

The police, however, had no answer why at that time of the night such a huge force raided his house.

State BJP President Dilip Ghosh said: "Moidul Islam is a leader and more importantly he is a teacher. So, this kind of behaviour is not at all expected from the police and the state government."

"However, one can expect anything from this government. They are behaving 'autocratic'. They neither have any respect for law nor for the people of this state. This is exactly what is expected from this party," he added.