Politics

‘No Concrete Steps Taken By The State’: Calcutta HC Asks NHRC To Examine WB Post-Poll Violence Plaints

The NHRC shall examine all the cases by visiting the areas and report to this court about steps to be taken to reinstate the confidence of the people, the court said.

The Calcutta High Court on Friday rapped the West Bengal government for its inaction in the case of post-poll violence cases in the state. It ordered the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to constitute a committee that will examine complaints filed by persons who were displaced during the post-poll violence.

Violence was witnessed in parts of the state after the declaration of the results of the assembly polls in May 2021

A 5-judge Bench headed by acting Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal said while the State government has been denying instances of post-poll violence from the very beginning, the petitions filed by certain affected parties and a report submitted by the State Legal Services Secretary in this regard, painted a different picture.

“It is the duty of the State to maintain law and order and to inspire confidence in the residents. The State from the very beginning had been denying everything but facts on record and report by State Legal Services Authority show differently,” the Court said, according to Bar & Bench.

Upon noticing that the State Government has not even responded to some of the complaints filed by the displaced persons, the High Court remarked that

“In a case like where the allegation is that life and property of the residents of the State are in danger on account of alleged post-poll violence, the State cannot be allowed to proceed in the manner it likes. The complaints required immediate action. It is the duty of the State to maintain law and order in the State and inspire confidence in the residents of the State.”

-CALCUTTA HC BENCH

The NHRC shall examine all the cases by visiting the areas and report to this court about steps to be taken to reinstate the confidence of the people, the court said.

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The Court was hearing a bunch of petitions alleging that many people from the opposition were subject to violence after the ruling All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) swept to power in the 2021 assembly elections.

Many of them had to flee their houses due to the violence and they were not being allowed to return, the petitions said.

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