Case Against Kolkata Cop After Child Rights Body Chief Alleges Assault

NCPCR chief Kanoongo had alleged assault by a police officer

Kolkata:

Days after National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) chairman Priyank Kanoongo alleged that he was assaulted at Tiljila police station, Kolkata police today said a case was registered against the accused police officer.

“This is to state that on the basis of the letter of complaint submitted by Shri Priyank Kanoongo, Chair Person of NCPCR, Govt. of India a specific case has been registered vide Tiljala PS Case No. 82 dated 31.03.2023 u/s- 323/353/341/506/34 IPC against Shri Biswak Mukherjee, Officer-in-Charge of Tiljala PS, Kolkata. The investigation of the case is in progress,” read an official statement from the Deputy Commissioner of Police South East Division, Kolkata.

The NCPCR chairman on March 31 alleged that a police officer beat him up at Tiljila police station when he protested against them for allegedly recording proceedings of the commission’s probe.

Taking to Twitter, he posted, “Bengal police officer Biswak Mukherjee snatched and beat me up at Tiljila police station in West Bengal.”

He claimed that Bengal police were surreptitiously recording the investigation of the NCPCR into the murder of a girl in Kolkata and the rape of a minor in Malda.

“The policemen were surreptitiously recording the @NCPCR investigation proceedings. They beat me up for protesting,” he added.

He said the team went to the house of the rape survivor on Friday and spoke with her parents.

“We are here to inspect. But the state commission chairperson forcefully came into the house with goons and didn’t allow us to talk. We have come here to the police station, but we are not allowed to talk here also,” Mr Kanoongo added.

The NCPCR was constituted under the provisions of the Commissions for Protection of Child Rights (CPCR) Act, 2005 for the protection of child rights and other related matters.

One of the functions assigned to the Commission under Section 13 (1) (j) of the CPCR Act is to inquire into complaints and take suo motu cognisance in relation to deprivation and violation of child rights.