The AG also stated that seven FIRs were registered at Jadavpur police station, with two of them being filed suo motu by the police. However, the petitioners’ lawyer, Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, pointed out that these FIRs did not mention the injuries suffered by a student due to alleged rash and negligent driving by the minister’s driver inside the university.
Kolkata, March 5: The Calcutta High Court has directed the West Bengal government to submit a detailed report on the incidents that took place at Jadavpur University during Education Minister Bratya Basu’s visit on March 1. The court wants to examine whether there was any failure of intelligence on the part of the police regarding the agitation that occurred that day.
Justice Tirthankar Ghosh, while hearing the case, said,
“I don’t want this to be an example in the rest of West Bengal.” He expressed concern over how close people got to the minister and stated, “I don’t want people coming too close to a constitutional authority as in the ‘neighbouring country’.”
The judge emphasized that protests should not lead to physically confronting a minister, stating, “Under the garb of agitation, coming in the close vicinity of the minister and manhandling him is not welcome.” He warned that if such behavior spreads across the state, it could become difficult to maintain discipline.
With assembly elections approaching next year, the court noted that such incidents could increase.
Justice Ghosh observed, “With the assembly elections in the state due to be held next year, such incidents will multiply and the court does not want such things to happen.”
Attorney General (AG) Kishore Dutta informed the court that one person had already been arrested in connection with the March 1 events. The court, however, demanded a comprehensive report detailing all incidents that occurred on campus that day. It set March 12 as the deadline for submission.
The AG also stated that seven FIRs were registered at Jadavpur police station, with two of them being filed suo motu by the police. However, the petitioners’ lawyer, Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, pointed out that these FIRs did not mention the injuries suffered by a student due to alleged rash and negligent driving by the minister’s driver inside the university.
According to the lawyer, the suo motu FIR mainly focused on students obstructing the minister’s vehicle. It also claimed that students had damaged the minister’s car, attacked his driver and security personnel, vandalized the union office and government property, and even set fire to an office nearby.
Justice Ghosh questioned the AG on why the police had not registered an FIR based on an email complaint from the injured student. The court then ordered the police to register the FIR by Wednesday itself.
During the hearing, Justice Ghosh remarked,
“Such incidents may spread like an epidemic throughout the state and crowd management will become a problem.” He also stressed the need for proper security measures, stating, “Physical distance should have been maintained between the minister, who is entitled to a certain category of security, and the agitators.”
The court noted that the entire situation could have been avoided if the police had acted responsibly.
Justice Ghosh observed, “The events on that day could have been avoided if the police took responsibility.”
This case will be heard again on March 12, when the state government submits its report.
