Kolkata: A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed in the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday seeking to restrain the ‘Nabanna Avijan’—a protest march to the state secretariat—called by the parents of the RG Kar Medical College rape and murder victim.
The march is scheduled to be held on August 9, marking the first anniversary of the crime. The PIL has been filed by a resident of Howrah district, where the state secretariat Nabanna is located. The matter came up before the division bench comprising Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Smita Das De. The petitioner urged the court to intervene and prevent the march, citing severe inconvenience caused to residents during such large-scale mobilisations. Particular reference was made to the Mandirtala area near Nabanna, which, according to the plea, bears the brunt of traffic and security disruptions during similar events.
This is the second such plea submitted in relation to the march. Earlier, a group of traders from Howrah had moved a single-judge bench of the High Court with a similar request.
The division bench admitted the petition and is expected to hear the matter on Thursday.
The protest march was announced by the victim’s family to mark one year since the recovery of their daughter’s body from a seminar hall inside the hospital premises on August 9, 2024. The incident had triggered widespread outrage and demands for justice.
While the march has been backed by several political parties in the state, the organisers have asked participants to refrain from displaying party flags. The Trinamool Congress has not been invited to join the protest. Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, who had initially supported the idea alongside the victim’s parents, reiterated his full support on Wednesday. He also criticised the state government, alleging that police were being used to suppress the protest.