Set-Back to Mamata, TMC, Calcutta High Court Sticks to NHRC Probe in Post-Poll Violence

NEW DELHI, June 21: In a set-back to the West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress party, the Calcutta High Court on Monday dismissed the state government’s plea for recalling its order directing the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to examine all cases of alleged human rights violations in post-poll violence in the state.

Rejecting the plea, a five-judge bench headed by acting Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal observed that the June 18 order was passed after the state failed to inspire the court’s confidence. The bench, also comprising Justices Soumen Sen, Subrata Talukdar, IP Mukerji and Harish Tandon, said the court did not find any occasion to modify or stay its earlier ruling.

The West Bengal government had claimed that it was not given adequate opportunity to place all facts on record, including the steps taken by the state government to address the issues relating to post-poll violence.

Earlier, the court had ordered the NHRC to constitute a committee which would visit those places where post-poll violence complaints were filed. The Bench also instructed that a member of the State legal Service Authority and State Human Rights Commission should be included in the committee and that the administration should provide the necessary logistics and other supports.

The court involved the NHRC following allegations that the police was not taking action, the Bench said, adding that the rights body had merely been told to file a report and that the government should not have any objection to it. “Your conduct, in this case, does not inspire the confidence of this court,” the acting Chief Justice said during the hearing.

(Manas Dasgupta)