Calcutta HC seeks report from Bengal Police on action taken after egg attacks on political persons

Kolkata, June 30 (IANS) A division bench of the Calcutta High Court, on Tuesday, directed the West Bengal Police to submit a report on the actions taken by the police administration in the incidents of eggs being thrown at political leaders and workers in the state since the results of the recently concluded Assembly elections were declared on June 4.

The division bench of the High Court’s Acting Chief Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty and Justice Partha Sarathi Chatterjee gave this direction to the state police after hearing on public interest litigation (PIL) filed by the Trinamool Congress.

In the PIL, the petitioners accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) activists of throwing eggs towards Trinamool Congress leaders, including former and present elected public representatives from the party, in the presence of the police, with the cops remaining mute spectators during those egg attacks.

However, the division bench rejected the petitioner’s plea for an interim order in this matter.

During the hearing on Tuesday, the division bench observed that the state government should inform the court about the steps taken by the police administration to prevent such egg attacks.

The court also observed that merely arresting a couple of persons involved in the matter would not be enough, and a larger social awareness should be created.

The division bench stressed that it was the duty of the state administration to ensure everyone’s safety.

The state government counsel informed the court that while the administration had been repeatedly issuing appeals to people to refrain from taking the law into their hands, the administration really had nothing much to do in the absence of the filing of definite complaints in the matter.

In his counterargument, the petitioner’s counsel and the four-time Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha member, Kalyan Banerjee, accused the police of being the main brain behind such events of egg pelting.

“Such attacks are happening even at secured places like the airports. A minister is asking people to throw eggs. What steps has the government taken?” Banerjee argued and, on these grounds, pleaded for an interim order from the court, which was rejected.

–IANS

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