Kolkata, Sep 25 (NationPress) The Calcutta High Court mandated the district magistrate of Murshidabad to submit a detailed report concerning the funds allocated for the victims of the communal violence that erupted in Murshidabad district earlier this year. The report must specify how the funds were distributed and to whom they were assigned.

The division bench, comprising acting Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Raja Basu Chowdhury, also instructed the petitioners' counsel to provide a list of victims who have not yet received compensation or rehabilitation within a two-week timeframe. The district magistrate is tasked with verifying this list.

The court emphasized that any grievances regarding compensation must be communicated to the district magistrate within 14 days, after which the state will report on compensation efforts and rescue operations.

The court inquired about the condition of homes in the affected areas. The state revealed that a total of Rs 3.39 crore has been disbursed as compensation, benefiting approximately 283 families, with Rs 1.2 lakh allocated for each damaged house. Sadly, 119 houses were reported destroyed.

Chief Justice Soumen Sen sought clarification on whether the total compensation amount had been fully utilized. Following discussions, the court has requested a comprehensive report on the financial assistance provided to the victims. The next hearing is scheduled for November 20.

It is important to highlight that on September 17, the Calcutta High Court criticized the state government for its sluggish response in providing compensation to families impacted by the communal unrest in Murshidabad.

The judges insisted that the state government must establish a definitive timeline for compensation disbursement and a thorough rehabilitation strategy for the affected families. They cautioned that any further delays in providing relief could worsen the victims' hardships and escalate communal tensions in the already fragile Murshidabad region.

Earlier in April, areas including Suti, Dhuliyan, Raghunathganj, and Samserganj experienced significant turmoil due to communal violence that followed protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act turning violent.

Many shops and homes belonging to Hindus were destroyed, and several Hindu religious sites faced vandalism. The most severely impacted location was Jafrabad village in Samserganj, where a father and son duo, Hargobindo Das and Chandan Das, were brutally attacked by rioters.

The unrest began on April 8, prompting the deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) on the night of April 12, upon a directive from a special division bench of the Calcutta High Court, which was set up specifically to address the Murshidabad violence.

In their order for the deployment of central forces, the special division bench remarked that the situation in Murshidabad could have been mitigated if the state government had acted sooner.