Suvendu Adhikari moves HC seeking protection for victims of post-poll violence

Kolkata: Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari on Monday moved the Calcutta High Court seeking protection for people who were victims of the post-poll violence.

The matter was mentioned before the Division Bench of Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya. It will be heard on Wednesday, along with the petition by BJP leader and advocate Priyanka Tibrewal. Tibrewal, also mentioned before the bench on Monday with regards to post-poll violence wherein the victims have come and registered complaints. It was mentioned that various instances of violence erupted across the state. While hearing a petition by people who claimed to have been subjected to post-poll violence and no case registered despite lodging complaints at local police station, the Vacation Bench of Justice Kausik Chanda and Justice Apurba Sinha Ray directed both the state police and Central Forces deployed in the state by the Election Commission of India to take steps to safeguard the lives and property of victims based on complaint filed through e-mail addresses.

In addition to the mechanism provided in the Code of Criminal Procedure (Cr.P.C.) for registering the FIR, people can lodge complaints via [email protected] and [email protected]. The complaints received through these email addresses will have to be placed in the public domain by uploading on the relevant website of the West Bengal Police. In case, the complaints disclose any cognisable offence, the DGP will direct the concerned police station to register an FIR under the relevant provisions of law. The Bench observed: “Instances of post-poll violence are not unprecedented in this state. After the last Vidhan Sabha election, the entire nation witnessed unprecedented post-poll violence within the state.” They cautioned that if the state machinery fails to protect the lives and property of the victim, “appropriate” orders will be passed on the next hearing date.