Calcutta High Court Commands Review Committee for Murshidabad Violence
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Synopsis
On April 17, a special division bench of the Calcutta High Court ordered the formation of a committee to evaluate the situation in Murshidabad, West Bengal, following violent protests over the Waqf (Amendment) Act, highlighting the need for humanitarian support for displaced individuals.
Key Takeaways
- Formation of review committee by Calcutta HC
- Committee includes members from NHRC, WBHRC, WBLASA
- Focus on helping displaced residents return home
- CAPF deployment to continue in Murshidabad
- Criticism of state government's handling of unrest
Kolkata, April 17 (NationPress) A special division bench of the Calcutta High Court, on Thursday, mandated the establishment of a committee to assess the circumstances in the minority-majority Murshidabad district of West Bengal, which recently experienced turmoil due to protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act.
According to the verbal order from the special division bench comprising Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Raja Basu Chowdhury, the committee will include at least one representative each from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), West Bengal Human Rights Commission, and the West Bengal Legal Aids Services Authority (WBLASA).
The special division bench noted that numerous individuals in the affected areas of Murshidabad have been displaced from their residences due to the violence that erupted last week, and the committee's efforts will be directed towards facilitating the return of these individuals to their homes.
Simultaneously, the bench ordered that the deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel remain in place in Murshidabad until further notice.
This same division bench had previously instructed the deployment of CAPF to stabilize the situation in the troubled areas of Murshidabad. In that directive, the bench criticized the West Bengal government's response to the communal unrest as insufficient.
The division bench remarked that if the deployment of CAPF had occurred earlier, the situation might not have escalated to such a “grave” and “volatile” state.
The bench emphasized that, in addition to providing compensation to families affected by violence-related fatalities, the administration must ensure that schools in the affected areas continue to function normally.
Reports indicate three fatalities linked to the violence in Murshidabad, including two from the same family in Samserganj, namely father and son, Hargobindo Das and Chandan Das.
Even though Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced compensation of ₹10 lakh for each victim's family, the Das family has declined the compensation.
A team from the National Commission of Women (NCW), which has taken suo motu notice of the violence in Murshidabad, is set to arrive in Kolkata. On Friday and Saturday, they will engage with the women from families displaced by the unrest.
The NCW team will also conduct discussions with the Murshidabad district magistrate and the district police superintendent.
