By PTI
KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court on Monday directed the inspector general of BSF, the nodal officer appointed for the deployment of central forces for West Bengal panchayat polls, to file a report on the violence that took place in various booths on July 8.
The court also directed the state government to provide assistance to the relatives for the cremation of those who died in alleged poll violence and to healthcare facilities for the injured.
A division bench presided by Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam directed the IG, BSF, the nodal officer appointed for the deployment of central forces for the rural polls, to file a report on the violence which took place in various polling booths in the state during the elections on July 8.
The court said the report will be of significance since the petitioner and other intervenors alleged largescale rigging in various booths.
The petitioner and intervenors claimed that repolls in 696 booths ordered by the State Election Commission out of over 61,000 booths where polling was held do not reflect the correct number.
It was claimed by an intervenor that repolling should be ordered in at least 50,000 booths.
Appearing before the court in person, petitioner Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Congress MP from Berhampore, prayed for an investigation into the deaths and injuries by a central agency.
Requesting the probe to be monitored by a sitting judge of the court, Chowdhury also prayed that adequate compensation be given to the families of the deceased and the injured.
He also requested for deployment of adequate central forces in and outside counting centres.
The court said the prayers will be considered after the respondents, including the state government, file their affidavit stating their position in this regard.
The court directed the state to ensure that all the injured are given the best of treatment in government hospitals.
It also directed that steps be taken to transfer injured persons to bigger hospitals if they require special care.
The bench, also comprising Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya, directed that FIRs be registered for all poll violence-related deaths, post-mortems be videographed, all injury marks be properly recorded and a report be submitted before the court.
It directed the state machinery to make arrangements for the cremation of those who were killed allegedly in the violence.
The question of providing compensation to the kin of the dead will be considered after a report is filed by the appropriate authority of the state, the court said.
Taking note of media reports that ballot boxes were damaged at various places, the court said elections in those booths should be countermanded.
SEC counsel Jishnu Saha submitted before the court that each of the 339 counting centres are being guarded by one company of the central force, which is 75 to 80 personnel per centre, apart from state armed policemen.
The bench directed that areas around counting centres be cordoned off so that sympathisers of various candidates do not crowd near such facilities.
The matter will come up for hearing again on Wednesday.
Taking strong note of a pistol-wielding man seen at Mohanpur in North 24 Parganas district on polling day, the court asked state advocate general S N Mookherjee if the man was arrested.
The AG informed the court that the man, Dhiraj Hela, was arrested and was remanded to police custody till July 12 by a local court in North 24 Parganas.
KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court on Monday directed the inspector general of BSF, the nodal officer appointed for the deployment of central forces for West Bengal panchayat polls, to file a report on the violence that took place in various booths on July 8.
The court also directed the state government to provide assistance to the relatives for the cremation of those who died in alleged poll violence and to healthcare facilities for the injured.
A division bench presided by Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam directed the IG, BSF, the nodal officer appointed for the deployment of central forces for the rural polls, to file a report on the violence which took place in various polling booths in the state during the elections on July 8.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
The court said the report will be of significance since the petitioner and other intervenors alleged largescale rigging in various booths.
The petitioner and intervenors claimed that repolls in 696 booths ordered by the State Election Commission out of over 61,000 booths where polling was held do not reflect the correct number.
It was claimed by an intervenor that repolling should be ordered in at least 50,000 booths.
Appearing before the court in person, petitioner Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Congress MP from Berhampore, prayed for an investigation into the deaths and injuries by a central agency.
Requesting the probe to be monitored by a sitting judge of the court, Chowdhury also prayed that adequate compensation be given to the families of the deceased and the injured.
He also requested for deployment of adequate central forces in and outside counting centres.
The court said the prayers will be considered after the respondents, including the state government, file their affidavit stating their position in this regard.
The court directed the state to ensure that all the injured are given the best of treatment in government hospitals.
It also directed that steps be taken to transfer injured persons to bigger hospitals if they require special care.
The bench, also comprising Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya, directed that FIRs be registered for all poll violence-related deaths, post-mortems be videographed, all injury marks be properly recorded and a report be submitted before the court.
It directed the state machinery to make arrangements for the cremation of those who were killed allegedly in the violence.
The question of providing compensation to the kin of the dead will be considered after a report is filed by the appropriate authority of the state, the court said.
Taking note of media reports that ballot boxes were damaged at various places, the court said elections in those booths should be countermanded.
SEC counsel Jishnu Saha submitted before the court that each of the 339 counting centres are being guarded by one company of the central force, which is 75 to 80 personnel per centre, apart from state armed policemen.
The bench directed that areas around counting centres be cordoned off so that sympathisers of various candidates do not crowd near such facilities.
The matter will come up for hearing again on Wednesday.
Taking strong note of a pistol-wielding man seen at Mohanpur in North 24 Parganas district on polling day, the court asked state advocate general S N Mookherjee if the man was arrested.
The AG informed the court that the man, Dhiraj Hela, was arrested and was remanded to police custody till July 12 by a local court in North 24 Parganas.
