Nabanna ‘Abhijan’: HC tells state to produce documents related to preventive arrests

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court, on Monday, directed the Bengal government to present all the relevant documents about the arrest of four individuals in connection with the march to Nabanna on

August 27.

The protest march was organised in response to the rape and murder of the PGT doctor of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. The case is listed for hearing again on Tuesday.

Reportedly, during the hearing, Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj expressed significant dissatisfaction with the police’s action and questioned the justification for the arrests and their subsequent release after 24 hours.

The state argued that those were preventive arrests made by the Howrah City Police as cops anticipated that these persons might cause serious disturbances during the Nabanna march. Justice Bharadwaj demanded clarity on the specific disturbances anticipated and the reason for the release of the detainees after 24 hours.

The court order mandates the state to provide all relevant documents related to the arrests in the next hearing.

Rajdeep Majumdar, the lawyer representing the petitioners, claimed the arrests were unlawful and sought compensation and accountability for those responsible for the detentions.

The four individuals were arrested on August 26, a day before the Nabanna march, prompting their family to approach the High Court the next day. Police released them on the evening of August 27.