Calcutta High Court will hear PIL over West Bengal post-poll violence

Calcutta High Court will hear PIL over West Bengal post-poll violence

A Public Interest Litigation was filed in the Hon’ble Calcutta High Court on Tuesday alleging the “widespread violence and disruption of law and order” in the aftermath of assembly polls in West Bengal and sought urgent reliefs for people who were affected by this violence and issue a direction to the National Investigation Agency to submit the report before this Hon’ble Court.

An independent social activist Susheel Kumar Pandey has filed the petition before the court and represented through Advocate Rishav Singh and Advocate J. Sai Deepak. The plea states that the police authorities and official state administration have failed to stop the violence which was unleashed towards the members and the supporters of opposing political parties. They have been brutally murdered and their houses and personal property being destroyed. 

The plea adds that because of the instances of the violence and the heinous crime including murders, riotous looting, arson, destruction of public property, kidnapping, and the bombing of localities, thousands of supporters of opposite parties forced to flee to the neighboring states for their protection of life. 

Additionally, the petitioner claims that “the nature of the content and videos which are circulated in the social media is so gruesome and gory that shaken the collective conscience of the citizens in the State and across the country.” Further, it meets and satisfies the requirements of Articles 355.

Lastly, the petitioner requested the Hon’ble Court to issue the following direction:

First, the police administration of West Bengal submits the reports about the steps that had been taken to deal with post-poll violence.

Second, order the central government to deploy the central protection forces for the restoration of law and order.

Third, issue direction to the National Investigation Agency to take the charge of the investigation of the violence.

Fourth, order the State government to provide adequate compensation to the families of the people who were died because of the violence in the state.

The case is being listed for hearing before the Hon’ble Calcutta High Court in the next week.