Calcutta HC to deliver verdict on Bengal post-poll violence case on Thursday – India Today

The Calcutta High Court is set to deliver its verdict on a bunch of PILs alleging post-poll violence in West Bengal. A five-member bench of the HC headed by acting Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal had reserved its verdict on the matter on August 3.

As per inputs, the high court will deliver its verdict at 11 am on Thursday.

A number of petitioners had moved the high court earlier this year, alleging widespread post-poll violence in the state of West Bengal after the Trinamool Congress’ return to power on May 2.

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The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) had formed a committee at the direction of the high court to probe the various complaints of post-poll violence in West Bengal.

Victims had levelled serious allegations of murder, rape and destruction of property against perpetrators of the alleged post-poll violence.

On June 29, the fact-finding team of the NHRC was even attacked in West Bengal’s Jadavpur while it was probing alleged incidents of post-poll violence.

In its report, the NHRC had pulled up the CM Mamata Banerjee’s TMC government for the alleged lapse in maintaining law and order. The NHRC had also suggested a probe by a central agency into the various allegations.

Senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani, representing one of the petitioners, had cited the NHRC’s report to state that the complaints of several individuals affected by post-poll violence were not registered by the West Bengal Police.

Kapil Sibal, appearing on behalf of the West Bengal Police, had argued that the NHRC’s report was “politically motivated” and that some members of the fact-finding committee had links to the BJP.

The allegations of post-poll violence had triggered a war of words between the BJP and the TMC. While the BJP accused the TMC of targeting its workers, the TMC responded by claiming that BJP workers were targeting their own.