The Calcutta High Court has summoned reports from the state government and the IG of the BSF on the incidents of violence on the day of polling for the panchayat elections in West Bengal. While hearing the petition of State Congress President Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary on Monday, a division bench of Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmoy Bhattacharya sought this report on the incidents of political violence. Along with this, the High Court said that the state government will have to provide good medical services to the injured.
Take the injured to the big government hospital if needed
The court said that if needed, he will have to be taken to a major government hospital in the state for treatment. If there is no facility there, then the state government will get them treated in a private hospital at its own expense. Apart from this, the court ordered the state to provide all possible assistance in the last rites of the deceased. The High Court also ordered videography of the post-mortem of each dead body.
Nodal officers will be appointed to fix compensation
At the same time, in relation to the compensation of the victim’s family, the division bench of the Chief Justice of the High Court said that to fix the compensation for the victim’s family, a nodal officer will have to be appointed, who will investigate all the circumstances and submit the report. Only after seeing that report, the court will decide how much compensation should be given to the victim’s family.
39 people died in a month
It is worth mentioning that State Congress President and Lok Sabha member Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary on Monday moved the Calcutta High Court with a petition seeking compensation for the victims of violence related to panchayat elections in the state. Thirty-nine people have reportedly died in poll-related violence in the state since the polling date was announced on June 8, while 20 people were killed on polling day on July 8.
Chief Justice said – give compensation to the victims, take legal action against the culprits
Filed before a division bench of Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmoy Bhattacharya, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury appealed that apart from paying compensation to the families of the victims, those responsible for the massacre should also be identified and strict legal action initiated against them. should be done. The division bench of the Chief Justice gave this order while hearing the petition on Monday.
Adhir Ranjan made these allegations in the petition
In his petition, Chowdhary has also alleged that the district administration, especially in the most violence-hit Murshidabad district, did not show minimal responsibility and humanity in making arrangements to shift the injured persons to hospitals. In the petition, the Congress leader claimed that he was filing the petition on behalf of the family members of the deceased as well as those who were injured in the polling day violence.
Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary argued himself in the High Court
On Monday, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary himself argued in front of the bench instead of deputing a lawyer on his behalf. The victims of election-related violence on Saturday were mainly people from the lower and middle classes. They did not even know to whom to go for treatment. Many injured people could not be taken to the hospital. I have appeared here today on his behalf. Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly Shubhendu Adhikari has already demanded that the state government should give compensation at the rate of Rs 50 lakh to the families of the deceased and Rs 10 lakh to the injured.
