Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday sought a report from the West Bengal government on the alleged police atrocities on the leaders and workers of BJP during the latter’s march to state Secretariat against corruption issues.
A division bench of Chief Justice Prakash Srivastava and Justice Rajasrshi Bharadwaj directed Chief Secretary, H.K. Dwivedi to submit the report by September 19
On Tuesday afternoon, soon after the Leader of Opposition in Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari and state BJP president, Sukanta Majumdar, were arrested while they were on their way to the state Secretariat, Nabanna, the legal cell of the BJP’s state unit filed a petition before the division bench.
Besides alleging police atrocities, the petitioners also alleged that the police had also violated a Supreme Court order that the state administration cannot hinder the movement of Adhikari as the Leader of Opposition.
The state government counsel argued that the police was forced to take action since the situation on Tuesday afternoon was going out of control, with a police vehicle being torched, a police kiosk vandalised and over 50 police personnel injured.
After hearing both sides, the bench ordered the state Chief Secretary to submit a report. Observing that no one can be arrested with any reason, it also said that it is necessary for the state administration to ensure that the public property is protected.
Soon after the division bench order, all the arrested leaders of BJP were released on personal bonds. After the release, Adhikari claimed that the police were forced to release them on following the high court’s intervention.
He alleged that the condition of West Bengal is currently like that of North Korea, as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her administration is determined to crush any democratic movement.
Meanwhile, Banerjee, who is currently on a district tour, said at Kharagpur in West Midnapore district, that the balloon of BJP in West Bengal has been punctured following their failed attempts to disrupt the peace in the state on Tuesday.
–IANS