Felani justice elusive for six years

Although six years have elapsed since the killing of Bangladeshi girl Felani by BSF members, her family is yet to get justice.

Teenage girl Felani, who used to work as a domestic help in New Delhi, was shot dead by the members of Indian Border Security Force (BSF) while she returning home by crossing the barbed-wire fence along with her father along Anantapur border point in Kurigram on January 7, 2011.

Later, the BSF hanged her body from the barbed-wire fence at the border.

Felani's death triggered a huge global outcry as a picture of Felani's body, which was hanging from the barbed wire upside down, went viral. The BSF men handed over the body a day after the killing.

Following the public criticism, BSF started investigation into the incident and submitted a charge-sheet against its constable Amiya Ghosh who shot the girl.

However, a special court constituted by the BSF had acquitted Amiya Ghosh of the charge on August 19, 2013.

Later, in the wake of widespread criticism of the acquittal, BSF decided to revise the murder trial. However, another judicial court upheld the previous verdict and acquitted Amiya Ghosh again.

Following this, Felani's father Nurul Islam with the help human rights organisation Manabadhikar Suraksha Mancha (Masum) filed a writ petition with the Supreme Court of India.

“I'm still optimistic that I'll get justice from the Indian apex court,” Felani's father told the news agency.