Following the unlawful arrest of R Bangla journalist Santu Pan on Monday evening by West Bengal Police while reporting on the breakdown of law and order in Sandeshkhali, on Tuesday Santu Pan’s family moved the National Human Rights Commission of India (NHRC). Santu Pan’s family has approached the NHRC against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s decision to arrest the R Bangla journalist. The complaint copy details the scale of attack on the individual journalist and the media.

The complaint outlines, “On the evening of 19 February 2024, my husband and Republic Bangla reporter Santu Pan was arrested with an outright attempt to throttle the media from reporting on the accounts of crimes against women in Sandeshkhali. Republic Bangla’s reporting team has brought forth accounts of multiple women in Sandeshkhali alleging politically institutionalised mass rape, political protection of the perpetrators and an environment of fear instilled into the victims.”