Alappuzha: BSF jawan Shibin Thomas tortured for exposing graft

Alappuzha: Shibin Thomas, a constable with the 28 battalion of Border Security Force (BSF), is a victim of ill-treatment by his superiors for daring to expose their corruption.

Shibin, who is currently in Raiganj in West Bengal, had been dismissed from service without pensionary benefits on December 2015 after he filed an RTI petition with the Ministry of Home Affairs on September 24,  2015 on the corrupt practices prevalent in his previous 41 battalion. He was reinstated in service pending inquiry in December 2016  after his parents  sent a petition to the PMO describing their son’s plight.

The parents, Thomas John, 55, and Saramma Thomas, 49, Ittiyam Veliyil,  South Aryad here, say that Shibin  is still being harassed by the same officials who have ordered a probe against him.  They are also conspiring  to terminate him, say the parents, who are daily wage workers.    

In the RTI application, Shibin   had   asked the Home Ministry  how much  money was sanctioned to the 41 battalion of BSF, Maheshpur, Raiganj, Uttar Dinajpur,West Bengal,  annually  for  2014-15 and 2015-16,  and how much money had been spent on each jawan for various purposes.

However, Shibin (roll number 041462300) received a reply that the information  was not available under the RTI Act.   Thereafter, his commandants  issued him a show-cause notice on December 16, 2015 on the charge of misbehaving with  Dr Rohan Kumar, general duty medical officer in the battalion. The dismissal order of Shibin without service benefits was passed by the commandant of 41battalion on December 18, 2015.

However, he was reinstated through an order signed by D. Haokip, deputy inspector general, BSF, North Bengal Frontier, on November 4, 2016  due to the  defective procedure followed by the commandant of 41 battalion. Shibin rejoined duty on December 30.

The parents say Shibin’s seniors siphon off the funds sanctioned by the central government. No Jawan has the courage to stand up against them. “Our son was framed with false charges and we  want a probe  by an honest IPS officer,” they demand.

“We have requested the  Prime Minister to let our son retire peacefully and proudly,” they have said. Shibin is married to Sophiya, an unaided school teacher. They have no children.