Post Poll Violence: Calcutta High Court Directs Bengal Govt To Ensure Safe Return Of Those Displaced During Clashes

The Calcutta High Court has directed the West Bengal government to ensure that those displaced by clashes during violence which occurred in the aftermath of the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls, are safely returned to their homes.

A division bench of Justices Harish Tandon and Hiranmay Bhattacharya also directed the central paramilitary forces who were deployed till 21st June to have their deployment extended to 26th June.

Earlier, the Court had extended the deployment of the central forces till 21st June on a plea by BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari who alleged that ruling party workers were targeting those belonging to opposition parties.

Advocate General Kishore Dutta informed the court that between 4th-18th June, a total of 859 complaints have been received through email by the Director General of Police's (DGP) office, which was set up pursuant to a court direction. 

He stated that while cases were registered for cognizable and non-cognizable offences, a large number of duplicate complaints were also received, while many others were incomplete, or being verified.

He further disagreed with the submissions of the petitioners that the State police were unable to handle the incoming complaints.

Public interest litigant Advocate Priyanka Tibrewal submitted that many people were displaced in the violence which occurred post the elections and that the affected people were finding it difficult to return back to their native places due to a feeling of threat from miscreants responsible for the violence.

Tibrewal submitted an affidavit before court containing a list of those people who were displaced in the violence and prayed that they be safely taken back to their homes.

ASG for the central government submitted that the deployment of central forces could be extended based on the court's directions.

Accordingly, the court directed the state to ensure safe passage for those affected in the violence and extended the deployment of forces in the State till 26th June.