Post-poll violence: File supplementary affidavits on NHRC report by July 31, Calcutta HC to govt
The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday granted the state government time till July 31 to file supplementary affidavits in response to the report by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on alleged post-poll violence in West Bengal.
A five-judge bench headed by acting Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal said that the matter would be taken up at its next hearing on August 2. It was in response to a plea filed by the state government that the court granted more time to file supplementary affidavits on the
NHRC report.
On Monday, the government, in a 95-page affidavit submitted to the high court on post-poll violence, claimed that the NHRC committee, which probed alleged incidents, “was fraught with bias against the ruling dispensation”. It alleged that the members of the NHRC probe team share close ties with BJP leaders.
In its final report to the court on July 13, the NHRC team claimed that “the situation in the state is a manifestation of the law of ruler instead of rule of law”, and recommended CBI probe into “grievous offences like murder and rape”.
Meanwhile, the DNA report of Avijit Sarkar, a BJP leader killed in one such alleged incident of violence, was submitted by the additional solicitor general before the five-judge bench which was also hearing PILs claiming atrocities on Opposition activists and kin during the ‘post poll violence’.
The court had directed a DNA matching of Sarkar with his brother for identification.
A second autopsy had earlier been carried out at the Command Hospital here on an order by the bench.
