Calcutta HC orders court-monitored CBI probe in WB's post-poll violence

The Calcutta High Court on Thursday ordered a court-monitored Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the incidents of post-poll violence in West Bengal.

The High Court also ordered to set up Special Investigation Teams (SIT) for investigation and senior officers from West Bengal cadre will be a part of the team. On July 15, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) team probing the alleged post-poll violence in West Bengal had submitted its final report to Calcutta High Court.

The NHRC in its report on the alleged post-election violence in West Bengal submitted to Calcutta High Court stated that "Spatio-temporal expanse of violent incidents in the state reflects appalling apathy of the state government towards the plight of victims".

In the report, the committee said, "This was retributive violence by supporters of the ruling party against supporters of the main Opposition party. It resulted in disruption of life and livelihood of thousands of people and their economic strangulation."

Later, the NHRC refuted allegations in a section of the media regarding the leakage of the report relating to the post-poll violence in West Bengal. In a statement, the rights body said it has shared copies of the said report with the advocates of the parties concerned in this matter in accordance with the directions of the Calcutta High Court.

"The National Human Rights Commission constituted a Committee to enquire into the post-poll violence in West Bengal, as per the directions of the Calcutta High Court. The Committee submitted its report to the Court on July 13, 2021."

"On the further directions of the Court, the Committee provided a copy of the said report to its Advocate in Calcutta, who shared with the Advocates of all the concerned parties in the related multiple writ petitions," the statement read.

Several incidents of violence have been reported at various places after the announcement of the Assembly poll results on May 2, after which a four-member team deputed by the Ministry of Home Affairs also visited the post-poll violence-affected areas.