Mamata government told to compensate chained activist

The Calcutta High Court Thursday directed the West Bengal government to pay Rs.15,000 as compensation to a student activist who was earlier chained to a hospital bed by police.

The order was given by a bench of Chief Justice Arun Mishra and Justice Joymalyo Bagchi in a public interest litigation which sought compensation for the violation of human rights of Shankar Sahani.

The now-second year BA student of Surya Sen College in Darjeeling district and a Students Federation of India (SFI) activist was arrested April 10 for participating in a protest rally by students which subsequently turned violent in Siliguri.

Following complaints of illness, he was admitted to the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital where the police had chained his leg to the hospital bed to prevent him from fleeing.

Following severe criticism after the media reported the matter, Sahani was unchained.

Though happy at the court's order, Sahani sought punishment for those who had treated him "inhumanly".

"Through this order, the court has given a befitting reply to those who treated me inhumanly. But I would be happier if the guilty police officers are punished so that such an incident is never repeated," said Sahani.