Shot by police, two Santals in jail

Charan Soren and Bimal Kisku were discharged from the hospital yesterday and produced in the court of Gobindaganj Judicial Magistrate. Sub-Inspector Azad of Gobindaganj police station, who is investigating a case filed over November 6 clashes between police and Santals, confirmed the matter to the Dhaka Tribune. Charan Soren and Bimal Kisku are accused in the case, said Subrata Kumar Sarker, officer-in-charge of Gobindaganj police station. He said: “Soren and Kisku were brought to Gobindaganj this morning as the hospital authorities discharged them.” Santals of Sahebganj-Bagda Farm area in Gobindaganj, Gaibandha came under police firing on November 6 when they protested eviction from their ancestral land by a group of people allegedly loyal to the local lawmaker. The evictors drove the Santals away and looted their homes and burned them to the ground. Three Santals were killed and more than 30 people were injured in the clashes. Four Santals, including Charan and Bimal, received bullet injuries. Shyamol Hembron of Gomeshwarpur of Chapainawabganj, succumbed to his injuries on way to Dinajpur Medical College Hospital; another injured Dijen Tudu of Joypur village in Gobindaganj is being treated at the National Institute of Ophthalmology and Hospital in Dhaka. All of the injured were on handcuffs while being treated at hospitals. Police removed the handcuffs on Monday upon a directive from the High Court following a writ petition by a Supreme Court lawyer. The clash occurred over 761.62 hectares of land in Sahebganj where sugarcane was being farmed. The land is claimed by Rangpur Sugar Mills in Gobindaganj. OC Subrata told the Dhaka Tribune: “The locals have long disputed the ownership of the land with the sugar mill. When the sugar mill employees tried to harvest sugarcane under police protection they were attacked by locals including Santals. “The Santals shot arrows at us. We fired back with rubber bullets and teargas shells to bring the situation under control.” Meanwhile, Supreme Court lawyer Jyotirmoy Barua sent a legal notice to nine people, including the home and industries secretaries, asking to explain under what authorities the eviction drive at Gobindaganj was conducted and what steps have been taken against those involved in attacking villagers, torching houses and looting. The notice, which was sent on behalf of two Santal victims, asks the respondents to answer in written within 24 hours, otherwise legal steps will be taken.