Centre, Bengal govt is no show at SC hearing on post-poll violence, deferred
The Election Commission was the only party present at the Supreme Court hearing but the bench noted that the necessary parties to the case were the central and West Bengal government, who were missing
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday will take up a petition seeking a judicial probe into post-poll violence in West Bengal after two weeks as no lawyer appeared for the Centre or the West Bengal government despite the court issuing them notices on July 1.
A bench of justices Vineet Saran and Dinesh Maheshwari noted the absence of lawyers. “The office report states that respondent 1 (Union of India) and respondent 2 (State of West Bengal) have been served with the petition but are not represented through any counsel,” the bench said on a petition filed by Ranjana Agnihotri and Jitender Singh.
The Election Commission was the only party that was present through advocate Amit Sharma. But the bench noted that the necessary parties to the case were Union and state government, who were missing. The bench allowed the petitioner’s lawyer to again serve the petition on the two governments and directed that the case be put up after two weeks.
Advocate Hari Shankar Jain, who appeared for the petitioners, moved an application to make the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) along with five other central commissions as party to the petition. But the bench kept the application pending in order to ascertain the view of the Centre and state.
The petition also named West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee as one of the respondents but the court refused to issue notice to her. The petition urged the court to direct the Election Commission to take action against the Trinamool Congress for violation of the model code of conduct and attached text of speeches by TMC leaders during the election campaign to back up its accusation that they indulged in communal politics.
The petition filed through advocate Vishnu Shankar Jain sought orders to the central and state government to protect the future of Hindus who, it said, were forced to flee the state during the violence and sought an independent enquiry into the incidents of loot, rape, and murder that had put the life, dignity and liberty of women and children in peril. On July 1, the court sought responses from the Centre, bengal government and the Election Commission.