Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Monday refused to take up a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) regarding Sandeshkhali for an urgent hearing.
The court asked the lawyer to keep track of the hearing going on before the Single Bench of Calcutta High Court in connection with Sandeshkhali. “Cannot do parallel proceedings,” Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam said, while rejecting the plea for urgent hearing. A PIL was filed in the Division Bench of Chief Justice with regards to the protection of women over allegations of sexual atrocities in Sandeshkhali. When the matter was mentioned on Monday, the Chief Justice asked: “Who is the writ petitioner? Is he an advocate? A social worker? A MLA? A pradhan or resident of Sandeshkhali? Has he gone to the place? How did he come to know?” CJ Sivagnanam stated that a petition with only copies of newspapers attached will not be enough.
The lawyer representing the petitioner was told that the basic requirement of a PIL has to be satisfied for it to be taken up.
The Court further asked the lawyer to watch the proceedings of Justice Kaushik Chanda, before whom a petition on Sandeshkali was listed.
According to a news agency, a single-judge bench of Calcutta High Court on Monday allowed the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the state Assembly Suvendu Adhikari to visit places in Sandeshkhali where Section 144 has been withdrawn.
Initially, district administration had imposed Section 144 in 19 village Panchayats, later the prohibitory orders were withdrawn from four.