The Calcutta High Court said Thursday that the Central Bureau of Investigation would form a special team to investigate violence in Bengal during the April-May election. According to the court, Kolkata Police Commissioner Soumen Mitra would be a member of the special team. A five-member panel led by acting Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal heard a slew of petitions demanding an independent investigation into the state’s alleged post-election violence.
The BJP has accused the Trinamool of sending out thugs to murder party members, assault women, vandalize homes, and steal businesses and offices belonging to the party’s officials. The Bengal government retaliated, claiming that violence allegations were substantially exaggerated and that fraudulent films and photos were widely distributed to establish false narratives.
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The majority of the violence, according to the administration, occurred on or around May 2, the day of the vote-counting, when state police were under the supervision of the Election Commission. A panel of the Calcutta High Court had already requested that the National Human Rights Commission, or NHRC, conduct a preliminary investigation.’
The NHRC blasted Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her government in its divisive report, accusing them of “appalling indifference” in the face of the alleged acts of violence. The NHRC suggested that “grievous acts like murder and rape” be investigated by the CBI and that these cases be prosecuted outside of the state.
The NHRC stated the situation in Bengal was a “manifestation of ruler law instead of rule of law,” and that “the local police has been extremely negligent, if not complicit”. Mamata Banerjee reacted angrily to the NHRC report, accusing it of “disrespecting the court” and pursuing the BJP’s “political vengeance” by releasing it.
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The NHRC refuted her claim that the report had been leaked, stating that it was available to “all interested parties as per court instructions.” According to the affidavit, some members of the NHRC panel are affiliated with the BJP and hence prejudiced towards the state’s ruling party. Families of the victims have taken post-election violence to the Supreme Court, requesting a CBI investigation and a petition to the centre to impose President’s Rule in the state.
