Murshidabad violence: Multiple petitions filed in Calcutta HC

Kolkata, April 16 (IANS) Multiple petitions were filed in the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday in connection with the violence in West Bengal's Murshidabad district last week during protests against the Waqf Act.

A petition was filed at a single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday, demanding a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into the matter.

The single-judge bench of Justice Tirthankar Ghosh admitted the petition. The matter is scheduled to come up for hearing on Thursday. The petition has been filed by some members of those families in Murshidabad who have become victims of the violence there.

The Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, filed a petition in the morning at Justice Ghosh's bench for permission to visit the troubled zones in the Murshidabad district. He alleged that the police denied him permission to go there.

His petition was admitted by Justice Ghosh's bench, and the matter will come up for hearing in the second half on Wednesday.

Earlier, the LoP was also denied police permission to visit Mothabari in the Malda district, where a similar riot-like situation surfaced. Then also Adhikari finally got permission from Justice Ghosh’s bench and thereafter visited Mothabari.

Meanwhile, another voluntary organisation seeking to set up relief camps in the troubled areas at Murshidabad approached the single-judge bench of Justice Amrita Sinha for permission. The counsel for the voluntary organisation claimed that since the District Magistrate of Murshidabad denied permission for setting up the relief camps, they approached the Calcutta High Court.

Justice Sinha’s bench has admitted the petition, and the matter will come up for hearing on Thursday.

As claimed by the district administration, the situation at Murshidabad has fast started getting back to normal from Wednesday morning. The Internet services have been restored in most places except Samserganj. However, prohibitory orders under Section 183 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, are continuing in the district.

--IANS

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