HC seeks report on Murshidabad riot relief

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Thursday directed the West Bengal government to submit within a week a report on steps taken to reconstruct houses damaged during the April 2025 protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act in Murshidabad.

The violence in Suti, Samserganj, Dhuliyan and Jangipur left three people dead and several homes gutted.

A division bench of Acting Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Raja Basu Chowdhury asked the state to also expedite payment of compensation to victims, in line with earlier court orders.

Senior state counsel Sirsanya Bandopadhyay informed the bench that the valuer appointed to assess the losses had yet to submit his report, delaying the process. “Is it not your duty to pursue the matter? File a report on these two counts on the next hearing date,” Justice Sen told the state counsel.

The court also examined the progress report filed by the Special Investigating Team (SIT), which has so far arrested 150 persons. According to the SIT, 119 cases were registered, with chargesheets filed in 112. Twenty-five accused remain absconding, most of them migrant workers, Bandopadhyay submitted. The bench questioned whether proclamation proceedings had been initiated against the absconders. The state counsel replied that such applications had been filed in some instances.

The SIT has also submitted final investigation reports in four cases and “final reports on mistake of facts” in two others, pending consideration before the trial court. Hearing of these matters is currently underway. The case will be heard again next week.