Calcutta HC orders police to ensure safe return of post-poll violence victims in Bengal

Kolkata: Calcutta High Court on Thursday directed police to maintain law and order and ensure safe return of any citizen if thrown out illegally out of their shops and houses, irrespective of their party affiliation, in West Bengal. Former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee appeared before Calcutta HC today morning, accompanied by former state minister Chandrima Bhattacharya, dressed in black lawyer's robes.

The court observed in its order that "in the interest of justice it is observed that it shall be lawful for the police authorities to strictly maintain law and order at the ground level. The police shall also ensure that if any citizen irrespective of his/her party affiliation is illegally thrown out of his shop/house/property etc. due to post poll violence, he/she shall be given a safe return to his shop/house/property etc."

"The women and children and the minorities are not spared. I am handing over a list of ten persons who have been murdered. One Scheduled caste family including a 92-year-old widow was thrown out of the house. They ransacked houses and many people are suffering, including general caste Hindus," Banerjee pleaded in the court.


"My humble submission is to please protect the people of Bengal. This is not a bulldozer state," she appealed.

Banerjee had earlier pleaded in the Supreme Court to make submissions in connection with the Bengal SIR case.

A PIL was filed before the court after the election result came on May 4.

Trinamool Congress MP and advocate Kalyan Banerjee said, "Hooliganism in going on and post poll violence have occurred. Widespread ruckus in the name of post poll violence have been going on in different parts of the state."

Advocate Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, one of the petitioners in the PIL, drew attention of the Chief Justice, that on the night of May 4, some makeshift shops were demolished using bulldozers at Kolkata's iconic Hog Market area. Bikash Bhattacharya said "muslim shopkeepers of Kolkata are been targeted.

The Bar Council of India has sought information from the West Bengal State Bar Council regarding the enrolment and practice status of former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, following her appearance before the Calcutta High Court wearing advocate's robes.