Calcutta HC lets govt retain central forces deployed for polls for 10 more days

The Centre informed the Calcutta high court that it was withdrawn 136 companies in phases from election duty

KOLKATA: The Calcutta high court on Monday allowed the West Bengal government and state election commission to continue with the deployment of central forces for another 10 days to control any possible violence in the state.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee recently said 29 people have died in the state in election-related violence (File Photo)

“Wherever, in the opinion of the state government and the state election commission, disturbance is still going on, such areas shall be identified so that the remining central forces can be deployed in the places and be allowed to continue for a period of 10 days. It is open to the Centre to withdraw the central forces in a phased manner,” said a division bench led by the chief justice TS Sivagnanam.

The court was informed by the Centre that at least 136 companies of central forces had been withdrawn in phases. The Union government had sent 821 companies for deployment in the state on the high court’s orders for the three-tier panchayat polls held on July 8. The high court ordered central troops in view of violence in several parts of the state after the panchayat election dates were announced on June 8.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee recently said 29 people have died in the state in election-related violence. Opposition parties claim the death figure is closer to 55.

The high court also directed the police to ensure the return of people who were allegedly driven out of their houses ahead of the elections and ordered district superintendents of police to monitor thee situation.

As two women, who were allegedly molested, approached the court, the bench indicated its displeasure at the series of petitions and supplementary affidavits being filed in matters related to panchayat elections.

“The entire list is clogged with election matters. Nothing can be done. You blame your friends for that. Already 40 to 50 matters have been given. The list is not moving. Absolutely no work is being going on in this court for the past two and half months,” the bench said.

This is the second time in the last week that the high court has lamented the surge in petitions over the panchayat elections. “There is an impression that the court is doing no work,” a bench observed on July 18, underlining that the high court had been receiving a large number of petitions over the panchayat elections.