West Bengal post-poll violence: SC issues notice to Bengal government

The Supreme Court on Tuesday issued notice to the West Bengal government on a plea seeking directions to stop or prevent the alleged state-sponsored violence in West Bengal in wake of the state Assembly elections results.

A Bench of Justice Vineet Saran and Justice BR Gavai asked the government to file its response on the plea and on the request of senior advocate Pinky Anand, appearing for the petitioner, agreed to make NHRC and National Commission for Women and Children a party to the PIL.

The plea filed by five social activists, including two lawyers, also sought the constitution of an SIT to investigate the violence and take appropriate action against the culprits in reported incidents.

The plea petition seeking SIT probe into post-poll violence and provide relief and rehabilitation of lakhs of persons displaced from the state after post-poll violence allegedly unleashed by TMC workers.

The apex court directed to file the reply by June 7 and posted the matter next for hearing in the second week of June.

The plea filed by Arun Mukherjee and others claimed that post-poll violence in West Bengal has led to an exodus of people and internal displacement in the state.

The police and "state-sponsored goons" are in cahoots, owing to which the former is not investigating cases and are failing to provide protection to those who are facing threats to their lives, it claimed.

It asked to provide immediate relief to the internally displaced persons affected due to post-poll violence by setting up camps, making provision for food, medicines and pandemic resources.

The PIL further sought direction to Centre to constitute an Inquiry Commission to assess the scale and causes of the exodus, and direction to state government to provide long-term relief to the internally displaced persons by making provision for their rehabilitation, compensation for loss of family members, property, livelihood, mental and emotional agony.

(ANI)

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