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News Desk: A group of BJP workers, advocates and social workers on Friday filed a fresh petition in the Supreme Court seeking an SIT probe into the post-poll violence in West Bengal. The Supreme Court will hear these petitions and other related pleas on May 25.
The petitioners claim to have been “directly affected” as their “homes and offices are being demolished by TMC mob”, forcing them to “flee from their homes”.
Appearing for the petitioners, senior advocate Pinki Anand told the court that “more than 1 lakh people have been displaced” due to the post-poll violence in the state.
“Due to post-electoral violence in Bengal from 02.05.2021 causing bombing, murder, gangrape, outraging of modesty of women, arson, kidnapping, loot, vandalism and destruction of public property, which led to a widespread fear and terror in the minds of ordinary residents of the State ultimately, forcing them to leave their homes,” the plea read.
“The police and the state-sponsored goons are in cahoots because of which the police proves to be a mere spectator in the entire episode, discouraging and threatening victims from filing FIR’s, non-investigation of cases, inaction in incidents where cognisable offences have been committed in presence of the police authorities,” it added.
The plea further alleged that “exodus of the people in West Bengal due to state-sponsored violence has posed serious humanitarian issues”.
The petitioners sought the protection of political workers, setting up of special investigation team (SIT) to probe the incidents of political violence and “targeted killings” in the state. It also sought orders to provide relief and aid to “internally displaced persons” in West Bengal.
The plea also claimed that the central government “failed in its constitutional duty and responsibility to intervene” when the government of the state was “not being carried on in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution”. The plea has asked the top court to direct the Centre to take “all measures under the law of the land, including Executive Orders, to ensure rule of law in the state.”
Several other pleas relating to the violence have been filed before the apex court in the last three weeks, including a plea by family members of two deceased BJP workers who have sought similar orders for court-monitored SIT investigation.
