Calcutta HC orders Bengal Govt to ensure safe return of displaced post-poll violence victims by Tuesday

The Calcutta High Court directed the West Bengal government on Friday to take immediate steps to ensure the safe return of all displaced victims of the alleged post-poll violence by Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Governor CV Ananda Bose wrote a letter to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on law and order situation in Bengal and returning the displaced people affected by post-poll violence.

A Division Bench, headed by Justice Harish Tandon, and comprising and Hiranmay Bhattacharyya reviewed the situation with numerous petitions concerning post-poll violence in West Bengal being submitted in the court. The court also observed that the displaced people must be sent back to their homes by next Tuesday. The court ordered that police should be more active in helping the displaced people.


The court also observed that police must prevent such post-poll violence related incidents and ensure safety of the displaced people. Increased police surveillance in affected areas to ensure recurrence of such violence was also directed by police.

"There are certain locations where the houses were vandalized. There were several other complaints of post-poll violence. The court observed that the affected people must be sent home by Tuesday and the police must help them to return home. CAPF was scheduled to stay till June 21. The Court has extended the presence of hearing till next Wednesday," Priyanka Tibrewal, the lawyer fighting for the displaced people, said.

There were 859 complaints which were submitted, people in the know said. "There were In 204 cases, FIRs have been filed, the state government said in the court.
Meanwhile, Bose, in his letter, wrote to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to ensure the law and order situation. He also wrote that the displaced people should be sent back to their homes.

Reacting sharply, West Bengal Pradesh Congress President Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said, "Why is the Governor writing a letter to the Chief Minister for people's safety and security? He is the Constitutional head of the state. The Governor is nominated by the Chief Minister but the President. Bose should seek the security of people from the President."

BJP Chief Spokesperson Shamik Bhattacharya said, "We welcome the HC's order. But there were cases where after returning, post-poll violence victims got murdered. Barasat's Mohd Ali was returned to his home. Police brought him back but then in the police's presence, he was murdered. Not only returning the displaced, safety should be ensured by the state government and right to life is a fundamental right."

Trinamool leader Kunal Ghosh, "A few people have been kept in a guest house and BJP is saying they are homeless. It is a drama. What clashes we see-it is BJP vs BJP."

Meanwhile, in an intra-party clash several Trinamool workers were injured. In Amdanga, two groups of Trinamool clashed with eachother. "I was beaten up and I was injured," Sabir Mondal, an injured Trinamool worker, said.