Kolkata, May 15 – The Calcutta High Court on Thursday released a petition that alleged police harassment of the family members of two victims killed in the April communal violence in Murshidabad district.
A division bench led by Justice Soumen Sen released the matter on procedural grounds, citing that a designated bench is already assigned to handle cases involving police inaction and overreach.
The petition was initially placed before a single bench of Justice Tirthankar Ghosh, which declined to hear it, noting that a division bench was already dealing with matters related to the Murshidabad violence. The single bench then forwarded the matter for appropriate reassignment.
The case will now be referred back to the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court for allocation to the appropriate bench.
The petition was filed by the widows of Haragobinda Das and his son Chandan, who were allegedly killed by rioters on April 12 in Samserganj, Murshidabad, amid protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act.
According to submissions before the court, the victims' family had taken shelter in Salt Lake and intended to file a legal petition. However, their lawyer alleged that personnel from the Bidhannagar police commissionerate forcibly entered the premises and verbally abused the family members.
The petitioners have accused the police of intimidation and harassment while they were seeking legal redress.
