Bengal govt moves HC seeking recall of contempt notice to DCP
Kolkata: The Bengal government on Tuesday filed an application before the Calcutta High Court seeking a recall of its order dated July 2 pertaining to the post-poll violence in the state, whereby contempt notice was issued to South Kolkata DCP, for allegedly failing to prevent obstruction to NHRC team probing the incident.
The court vide its July 2 order had issued a host of directions to the state government, on the basis of an interim report submitted by the NHRC Committee.
It issued show-cause notice for initiation of contempt of court proceedings against Rashid Munir Khan, Deputy Commissioner of Police of South Kolkata for allegedly failing to prevent obstruction to the NHRC team which had earlier visited Jadavpur to examine the allegations of post-poll violence.
The Bengal government has claimed that it could not refute the contents of NHRC's interim report as it was submitted in a sealed cover.
The interim report had prima facie found evidence of the alleged post-poll violence. The court had said the state will be granted an opportunity to make its submissions, after filing of the final report of the committee on July 13.
Vide the impugned order, the High Court had also ordered second autopsy of deceased BJP member Avijit Sarkar who was allegedly killed by TMC members during alleged post-poll violence.
Advocate General Kishore Datta informed the Bench that the Supreme Court has taken cognizance of Sarkar's alleged killing. However, the Bench clarified that it is not passing any directions in the case and has merely ordered a second autopsy.
A five-judge Bench headed by ACJ Rajesh Bindal has been adjudicating upon a batch of petitions alleging violence in the state in the aftermath of the All India Trinamool Congress Party (TMC) sweeping to power in the 2021 Assembly elections. The court on June 18 had directed the Chairperson of the NHRC Justice Arun Mishra to constitute a 7-member committee to investigate the claims of post-poll violence.
