Cal High Court gets multiple petitions on Murshidabad violence

Kolkata, April 16 -- In relation to the communal violence that unfolded in Murshidabad over the Waqf (Amendment) Act, multiple petitions were filed at the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday, including a petition demanding a central agency probe and invocation of President's Rule.

Meanwhile, expressing concern over violence in Bengal's Murshidabad, Chief Justice of India, Sanjiv Khanna reportedly said the episode is extremely disturbing and the issue will be taken up by the top court. "One thing is very disturbing, the violence. The issue is before the Court and we will decide," the CJI remarked.

The Calcutta High Court bench of Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Chaitali Chatterjee (Das) was reportedly moved by a petitioner with a PIL demanding a probe by CBI and NIA. The petition alleged that despite the court orders and deployment of Central Armed Police Forces, the state administration failed to control the situation or rehabilitate victims.

Allegations of cross-border involvement, police inaction and evidence tampering necessitates investigation by the central agencies, the petition stated and prayed for directions to ensure safe return of the displaced families, payment of compensation by attaching the assets of perpetrators and invocation of Article 356 (President's Rule) due to alleged breakdown of constitutional machinery in the state.

The bench is learnt to have admitted the petition and the matter is scheduled to be heard on Thursday.

Another petition was filed by the Leader of Opposition in Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari at the bench of Justice Tirthankar Ghosh, seeking permission to visit the troubled zones in the Murshidabad district.

He alleged that the police denied him permission to go there. The single bench reportedly directed that the petition be placed before the division bench of CJ as all other matters related to the issue were filed there.

Another voluntary organisation seeking to set up relief camps in the troubled areas at Murshidabad approached the single-judge bench of Justice Amrita Sinha for permission. The counsel for the organisation claimed that since the District Magistrate of Murshidabad denied permission for setting up the relief camps, they approached the court. The matter was admitted and is scheduled for hearing on Thursday.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.