A division bench, headed by Justice Hiranmoy Bhattacharya, instructed the Superintendent of Police in all districts and commissioners statewide to compile a detailed report on the incidents that occurred during Durga Puja, along with the actions taken in response.
KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court requested a report on Tuesday (30th Oct)from the Director General of Police regarding the alleged attacks on various Puja pandals during Durga Puja.
A division bench, headed by Justice Hiranmoy Bhattacharya, instructed the Superintendent of Police in all districts and commissioners statewide to compile a detailed report on the incidents that occurred during Durga Puja, along with the actions taken in response.
The Director General will review this report and submit a final version to the High Court bench, which must then be presented to the Chief Justice’s bench by November 14.
The bench was considering a plea from Ritu Singh, president of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad’s Nadia district branch. Singh requested the court to mandate a transparent investigation into the attacks on Durga Puja pandals in Kolkata’s Garden Reach and other areas of the state. She urged the court to assign the investigation to an independent agency rather than state agencies.
The West Bengal Advocate General, representing the state, pointed out that while the petition mentioned several incidents of attacks on Durga Puja pandals, Singh had not filed any formal complaints about these occurrences. He also requested additional time to submit the report.
Singh’s lawyer highlighted multiple alleged attack incidents across different districts during Durga Puja, stating that miscreants had vandalized a pandal in Garden Reach and damaged idols in Shitalkuchi in Cooch Behar, Shyampur in Howrah, and Nadia district.
Justice Bhattacharya inquired why the petitioners sought a transfer of the investigation.
The lawyer replied, “The state police have failed. The state cannot handle this investigation.” He emphasized that the incidents affected several locations, including Kolkata, and that an impartial investigation was unlikely if conducted by the state police.
The judge then directed the Director General to provide a report detailing the actions taken regarding the alleged attacks on Durga Puja pandals, based on which further directions would be issued.
