Bengal Post-Poll Violence: Calcutta High Court Pulls Up Mamata Govt, Says It's In 'Denial Mode'

Calcutta High Court also noted the cases of sexual violence, observing that even minors were attacked, adding that "they have been brutally assaulted sexually".

File Photo

Kolkata: Calcutta High Court has pulled up the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government on Friday over violence that erupted in the state following the election results. The bench said that the administration is in a "denial mode".

The Calcutta HC bench stated that there was enough evidence pertaining to the post-poll violence and that the state had been caught "on the wrong foot".

"From a perusal of the report prima facie stand taken by the petitioners is established that there had been post-poll violence and the state was found on a wrong foot, where throughout it was on a denial mode," Live Law report quoted the 5-judge bench as saying.

Calcutta HC, after reading the NHRC report on post-poll violence, directed police to register cases in all matters which have either been reported to it or have been placed before NHRC or any other authority/Commission, get statements of victims recorded under Section 164 of CrPC.

It also noted the cases of sexual violence, observing that even minors were attacked, adding that "they have been brutally assaulted sexually".

It also directed Bengal Chief Secretary to ensure the preservation of correspondence of the Special Branch/Intelligence Branch of state Police, logs of different control rooms.

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.

While it directed police to register cases as recommended by the NHRC committee, it also asked for medical treatment to be given to those who suffered from the violence and ordered a second autopsy of slain BJP worker Abhijit Sarkar to be conducted.

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.