The Calcutta High Court has raised serious concerns over the detention and alleged custodial torture of three female college students by the state police. The students were reportedly taken into custody at a women's police station in North Bengal, where they were subjected to abuse.

Justice Tirthankar Ghosh, while hearing the case, questioned the legal basis of their detention. He expressed disappointment over the fact that a Senior Deputy Police Officer (SDPO) could not clarify under which provision of law the students had been taken into custody.

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"Ask your officer under what provision were they taken? Today morning, I was shattered when the SDPO rank officer could not answer. It's not that protests don’t happen, or get wild. These are normal things. They were detained for long... Police must be in the process of making a decision on whether it is a cognizable or non-cognizable offence. Today I was shattered... It is an officer of the rank of SDPO... Very alarming... They need to be trained... Police can take action, but under what passage of the book did you take action?" Justice Ghosh remarked during the hearing.

Students Allege Illegal Detention and Torture

The three students had approached the High Court, claiming they were unlawfully detained while participating in a protest against the state's education policies outside their college. Similar protests had taken place in Kolkata, where students clashed with Education Minister Bratya Basu’s convoy, leading to injuries.

According to the students, they were picked up by the police at 10 AM and kept in custody until 2 AM. During this period, they were allegedly subjected to brutal torture and verbal abuse, including caste-based slurs. They claimed that female officers at the police station had physically assaulted them, denied them access to water, and forced them to endure inhumane treatment.

Medical reports submitted before the court indicated multiple injuries on all three students, corroborating their claims of physical abuse.

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The students' legal counsel presented harrowing details of the alleged custodial torture. The court was informed that the students were beaten with sticks, trampled upon, and even forced to hit each other. After enduring these alleged abuses, they were released at 2 AM without being given any formal explanation for their detention.

Furthermore, it was claimed that when the students sought medical treatment in their hometown, they were denied access to healthcare. They were forced to travel to Kolkata to obtain a medical report and formally lodge their complaint.

The counsel urged the court to direct the police to submit CCTV footage from the police station as evidence. They also highlighted that the actions of the police violated multiple Supreme Court judgments on custodial rights and human dignity.

The state’s legal representative refuted the allegations of torture, asserting that the students were detained solely for causing disturbances during the protest. They claimed that the accusations of custodial violence were baseless and that the state should be given an opportunity to contest the matter on its merits.

The court is expected to examine the claims thoroughly, with further hearings likely to take place. The case, registered as WPA/5591/2025, has now brought significant attention to issues concerning police conduct, custodial rights, and the protection of protestors.

Case No: WPA/5591/2025