Bengal Post-Poll Violence: Calcutta HC Directs Police To Register Cases, Orders Second Autopsy Of BJP Worker

Medical treatment has to be given for those who suffered from violence and a second autopsy of BJP worker Abhijit Sarkar has to be conducted, Calcutta High Court ordered.

File Photo

Kolkata: Calcutta High Court on Friday heard petitions alleging that many people from the opposition were subject to violence after the ruling All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) swept to power in the 2021 assembly elections.

On June 18, the five-judge Bench of the High Court had directed the chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to constitute a committee to examine complaints by persons displaced by post-poll violence in West Bengal.

The Court issued directions based on the interim report submitted by NHRC. "We will not circulate interim report, it will remain on a sealed cover," the Court stated.

"There is a mention in the report that the committee constituted by NHRC did not get into the transfer of police officers. There is a need for the committee to know the reasons": Advocate Sumouli Sarkar, appearing for the committee, told the bench.

The Calcutta High Court directed police to register cases as recommended by the NHRC committee. Medical treatment has to be given for those who suffered from violence and a second autopsy of BJP worker Abhijit Sarkar has to be conducted.

Show cause notice was issued seeking to know why contempt should not be taken against district magistrate and Superintendent of Police in relation to violence in some areas. Chief Secretary has been directed to ensure that records in the log be preserved.

"People are scared and not in a position to approach police stations, please pass directions for them also": Advocate Sarkar said.

The Court stated that these directions have been passed on the basis of the interim report. 

The bench also emphasised that it does not want to disclose the interim report at this stage. "When the final report is submitted, we will make it open to all parties," it stated.

"You said you would place all information regarding registering of cases before the committee, you have failed to do so," ACJ Bindal told AG Datta.

"We have supplied the information and can supply it again. If it is being said that it is not supplied, we need to be allowed to respond to that," AG Datta responded.

The bench stated that submissions can be made on July 13 based on the final report. "We are not saying anything final, we are just trying to ascertain more information," it added.

The court will also examine the issue of persons allegedly displaced from their homes due to the violence when the final report comes. For now, we just want to assist the committee, it said.

Meanwhile, the Calcutta High Court bench asked for names of Jadavpur's District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police wherein Minorities Commission officer was obstructed.