Lagatar24 Desk
The Calcutta High Court on Thursday handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation(CBI) the investigation of the cases related to murder, rape and crime against women which allegedly happened during post-poll violence in West Bengal.
The other cases will be investigated by a Special Investigation Team (SIT). Both probes will be monitored by the High Court, the court held.
Three separate but concurring judgments were delivered by a Bench of Acting Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal and Justices IP Mukerji, Harish Tandon, Soumen Sen and Subrata Talukdar.
Following the results of the Assembly elections, many persons who had to flee their houses due to the violence approached the Court claiming that they were not being allowed to return home by TMC workers.
The High Court had, on May 31, ordered the formation of a three-member panel to ensure that persons displaced by post-poll violence in the State are able to return to their houses.
The affected parties were directed to lodge complaints with the West Bengal State Legal Services Authority and the Committee was to examine them and take steps to ensure that people are allowed to return to their house.
The Authority then submitted a report to the Court detailing the complaints received by them and the effects of the post-poll violence.
The Court, after it received a report from the WBSLSA, cleared NHRC intervention and also directed the State to ensure that the NHRC Committee be provided necessary assistance to visit affected areas.
The NHRC committee subsequently submitted a report blaming the ruling Trinamool Congress of turning affairs in the State into the “law of ruler“, instead of “rule of law.”
It recommended that grievous offences including murder and rape should be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for investigation, and that such cases should be tried outside the State.
The State government strongly contested the NHRC report questioning the impartiality of the human rights body.
