Kolkata: Calcutta High Court Friday directed
the West Bengal government to file a status report on 49 cases
that were filed in Jhargram police district in West Midnapore
in which 500 killings, gangrapes and disappearences were
reported but no action had been taken, as claimed by a PIL.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice J N Patel and
Justice Asim Kumar Roy directed the state government to file
the report by March 24 on the PIL that was filed by renowned
author and social activist Mahasweta Devi and others.
The petitioners` counsels Kashikanta Moitra and Sardar
Amjad Ali submitted before the court that Jhargram police
district had been carved out of Midnapore district considering
the serious law and order situation in Jhargram.
They stated that the social activists, taking information
from records, found that 49 FIRs involving over 500 murders,
59 persons missing and several cases of gangrapes had been
lodged since September 2010.
The petitioners claimed that despite astonishing numbers
involved, there have been no investigation into the cases.
It was claimed that most of these incidents occurred
during operations carried out by the local police with joint
forces and cadres of a particular political party.
The petitioners prayed for a CBI probe claiming that with
the alleged involvement of state forces, it was not possible
to get an independent investigation by state agencies.
Advocate General Balai Roy submitted that the number of
alleged cases was high and sought three months to submit the
report.
But the bench declined to give so much time and directed
the state to furnish the status of each case that has been
filed, as alleged in the PIL, by March 24.
PTI
