Calcutta HC directs CBI to launch monitored-probe into post-poll violence in West Bengal

On Thursday, the Calcutta High Court directed the CBI to form a special investigation team to investigate the cases of post-election violence in West Bengal.

Following the Assembly election results on May 2, West Bengal witnessed a series of violent occurrences. Anindya Sundar Das, a lawyer, has petitioned the Calcutta High Court with a PIL in the case.

The High Court, in response to the plea, mandated the National Human Rights Commission of India (NHRC) to form a committee to probe the matter on June 18. On July 13, the NHRC's panel issued its report, proposing that cases of "heinous crimes" be handed to the CBI.

Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing the state DGP, had alleged during submissions that the findings and recommendations of the NHRC committee report were mistaken and unfair. He argued that it should be dismissed by the court since a few members of the NHRC panel had ties to the opposition BJP.

The report of the NHRC panel was perceived as inaccurate and biased by the state government. The West Bengal administration, on the other hand, was reprimanded by the High Court in a subsequent hearing, declaring that it had been unable to conduct an investigation against violence.

Multiple party deaths were reported, and the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Trinamool Congress blamed each other.

The death toll has been reported to be between 11 and 14, however the authorities have not confirmed the figures. This would only be clarified after a thorough inquiry and a decision by the High Court.