Calcutta High Court extends CAPF deployment in riot-hit Murshidabad

The court's decision follows unrest in the region last month where at least two people were killed in clashes during protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act

The Calcutta High Court on Thursday extended the deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) Murshidabad district of West Bengal till further orders, reported news agency PTI.

 

The bench, comprising Justices Soumen Sen and Raja Basu Chowdhury, was hearing a petition by West Bengal Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari, seeking the deployment and transfer of violence-related cases to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The court’s decision follows unrest in the region where at least two people were killed on April 12 in clashes during protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act. Over 300 arrests have been made so far in connection with the violence.

 

 

The matter will come up for hearing again on July 31, the bench said.

 

All accused in murder were local: Police

 

The victims – a father-son duo Harogobind Das and Chandan Das – were dragged out of their homes and brutally murdered, police said earlier.

 

Earlier this week, a senior police officer told The Hindu newspaper that all thirteen accused in the murder were locals, some of whom were known to the family.

 

“The bereaved family had identified six people, of whom four have been named in the First Information Report. However, they might have known more of them, but could not possibly register their identities at the moment, due to the traumatising nature of the crime,” the officer said.