Calcutta HC gives nod to Centre for NIA probe on Beldanga tension

Kolkata, Jan 20 (LatestNewsX) A Division Bench of the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday gave freedom to the Union government to order a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into the violence and tension for two days last week at Beldanga in minority-dominated Murshidabad district of West Bengal, reportedly over the alleged murder of a local migrant worker from that district in Jharkhand.

The Division Bench of Calcutta High Court’s Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Partha Sarathi Sen also directed that Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel be deployed at Beldanga till 100 per cent normalcy is restored in the area and if necessary, more CAPF companies could be deployed in the area for that purpose.

The Division Bench also clearly directed the state government to make the most effective use of the CAPF in the troubled pockets.

The court gave this order after a detailed hearing on a Public Interest Litigation filed by Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, demanding deployment of CAPF personnel in the region, as well as an NIA probe into the matter.

Justice Paul and Justice Sen also directed the District Magistrate and the Superintendent of Police of Murshidabad to file affidavits in the court within 15 days, taking responsibility for the security of the lives of people and property in the area.

Earlier, the LoP also wrote to Governor C.V. Ananda Bose and sought the latter’s intervention in the continued tension at Beldanga, besides filing the Public Interest Litigation at the Calcutta High Court.

In his communique to the Governor, Suvendu Adhikari also updated him on how the state, as well as the district administration in Murshidabad, had remained inactive in controlling the unruly mob that went for a free ride at Beldanga from Friday afternoon and continued with the same on Saturday afternoon.

He also gave details on how journalists covering the tension at Beldanga, including female scribes, were seriously assaulted while they were performing their official reporting duties there.

src/rad