West Bengal Post Poll Violence: Calcutta HC directs Chief Secretary to preserve intelligence correspondence
Jul 02, 2021
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], July 2 : The Calcutta High Court on Friday, after perusing the interim report of the National Human Right Commission (NHRC) on alleged post poll violence in West Bengal, directed the state's Chief Secretary to ensure preservation of the correspondence of the Special Branch or Intelligence Branch of the state police.
The logs of different control rooms should also be preserved regarding alleged post-poll violence that occurred in the state, the court said.
The high court further ordered that the entire material from May 2 till date be kept in a sealed cover duly signed by the members of the committee, immediately. Any lapse or delay in the matter will invite adverse inference.
A special five Judge Bench of Calcutta High Court headed by Justice Rajesh Bindal also ordered said that state shall make all arrangements for medical treatment of those injured in the violence, post assembly elections.
Supply of rations is ensured to the persons, even if they have lost their ration cards, the bench said.
The state has been directed to place before the committee complete details of the cases in which the accused were arrested and have been given bail by the courts, so as to enable it to place the same before the court, the HC ordered.
Court further added that whatever information has been asked for by the committee from different authorities in the state, be supplied immediately. Any delay may call for adverse inferences.
Court also said that it is surprising fact available from the report is that state authorities, had been claiming throughout, that there were no complaints received by them. But when the opportunity was given to the complainants to file complaints with the State Legal Services Authority or the NHRC, the authorities were flooded with complaints. People are afraid to even disclose their identity, apprehending threats to their life and property.
The police have been directed to register cases in all matters which have either been reported to it or have been placed before the NHRC or any other authority/Commission. Steps to be taken to get the statements of the victims recorded under section 164 CrPC immediately, as per law, the court-ordered.
