High Court moved accusing police of denying permission to hold protests

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court was moved on Wednesday by several protestors alleging the Kolkata Police is continuously denying permission to stage demonstrations in the city.

The Bench of Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj was approached by a group of protestors, including political parties and civilian groups, alleging that police have been rejecting their permission proposals to hold protests in the city. It was learnt that during a recent ‘reclaim the night’ protest rally at Naihati, women were allegedly harassed.

To protest against this, permission was sought to stage a demonstration in the city. The Left party Forward Block too moved the court alleging that police did not give them permission to stage protest at the ‘Y’ channel for the period of time they demanded for. The police allegedly permitted them to stage a protest 10 am to 5 pm when they had asked permission for a 24-hour protest demonstration.

In another case, a group of job seekers had wanted to stage a sit-in demonstration in front of Karigari Bhavan on Thursday but the police allegedly refused to give permission

for the same.

All of the above matters are scheduled for hearing

on Thursday.

Such a move by the protestors come in the wake of Kolkata Police reportedly mulling legal action against organisers of meetings and rallies which are taking place across the city demanding justice in the rape and murder case of a junior doctor at RG Kar Medical College & Hospital.

It was observed by the police that most of these protests are being called by anonymous groups through social media platforms. The protests are blocking major thoroughfares and crossings in the city.

According to the police, by law, such rallies and events require permission via a specified Kolkata Police format but organisers are allegedly exploiting a Supreme Court ruling which allowed peaceful demonstrations by civilians in the city in the wake of the

RG Kar incidents.