Cal HC directs NIA to file report on clashes in Murshidabad over Ram Navami celebrations

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Friday instructed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to submit a report regarding the clashes in West Bengal's Murshidabad district during Ram Navami celebrations, stating whether the probe should be handed over to the central agency.

The court noted that the Murshidabad district SP in a report had referred to alleged use of bombs and other weapons resulting in injuries during the clashes in Beldanga and Saktipur on April 13 and 17.

A division bench presided by Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam directed the NIA to file a report on the clashes and other allegations made in two PILs and the alleged use of bombs.

The bench, also comprising Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya, directed the NIA to state in the report whether the FIRs registered in connection with the clashes be transferred to the central agency.

Under the NIA Act, bomb explosion is one of the scheduled offences which can be investigated by the central agency.

The court directed that the matter will be taken up for further hearing on May 10, by which date the report has to be filed.

Additionally, it directed the NIA to address serious allegations highlighted by the central government's representative, additional solicitor general Asok Kumar Chakrabarti, regarding the clashes, as mentioned in one of the petitions.

The Murshidabad SP and the CID filed reports before the court in the form of an affidavit as per its direction on the earlier hearing date.

Expressing displeasure at the clashes during Ram Navami celebrations, the court had on April 23 said it may be constrained to propose to the Election Commission a deferment of Lok Sabha election in Baharampur constituency, within which the incidents had taken place.

Hearing two petitions seeking CBI and NIA investigations into the clashes, the court had said if two sets of people are fighting when the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) is in force, then they do not require any elected representative "because election will cause another problem." Vishwa Hindu Parishad's Kolkata area convenor Amiya Sarkar and the regional convenor of Muslim Rashtriya Mancha, West Bengal and Sikkim, S A Afzal, are the petitioners in the two PILs.