Kolkata: As many as 107 FIRs were registered in connection with the post-poll violence while 560 complaints were received from 6 June to 12 June, the West Bengal government Tuesday informed the Calcutta High Court.
These details are present in a 55-page affidavit filed by the state police before the division bench of Justices Harish Tandon and Hiranmay Bhattacharya.
The court had directed the Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government to file a comprehensive report disclosing the action taken upon complaints received about the post-poll violence in Bengal after the Lok Sabha poll results were announced 4 June.
“I state that till 6 pm as on 12 June, 560 numbers of emails have been received in the email ids as mentioned. I further state that amongst the complaints received, 107 FIRs have been lodged, 92 complaints are leading to non-cognizable cases, in 114 complaints, no offence is found after inquiry, 18 complaints are not related to post-poll violence, 88 are duplicate complaints on the same incident and 3 incomplete with no address, etc (sic),” the affidavit states.
“There are 138 complaints which are under scrutiny and necessary action per law is being initiated,” it adds.
ThePrint has a copy of the document.
Voting was held in West Bengal in seven phases between 19 April and 1 June.
According to the affidavit, the maximum cases were reported from Baruipur, near Kolkata. Of the total 134 cases brought to the notice of the police, 53 were under investigation, 45 were being scrutinised, and the remaining cases were not related to the post-poll violence.
Purba Bardhaman district came second with 60 cases under investigation. Another 36 were under scrutiny, out of the total 99 emails received by the police.
In Barrackpore, where BJP MP Arjun Singh lost to TMC’s Partha Bhowmik, 13 complaints were registered anticipating political violence while 3 under Jagaddal police station area and 2 in Naihati were related to land dispute.
The report also mentions that a complaint filed by a jute mill worker from Bihar could not be substantiated. All 14 complaints received under Howrah Rural were under investigation, according to the affidavit.
On the other hand, Paschim Medinipur and Purba Bardhaman topped the list of places where no offences were made after scrutinising the complaints.
The matter will be heard next on Thursday.
On 6 June, the HC had directed the police chief — while hearing a PIL filed by Leader of Opposition and BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari — to provide two emails for those who want to lodge complaints or provide information about violence related to the Lok Sabha elections in Bengal. It also directed the government to upload all the complaints immediately on the police website.
“Instances of post-poll violence are not unprecedented… After the last Vidhan Sabha election, the entire nation witnessed unprecedented post-poll violence within the state. Taking the matter very seriously, apart from the allegations made in the writ petition, this court has taken judicial notice of many incidents of violence following or associated with the Lok Sabha election, as reported in press and electronic media,” the division bench had said.
In his writ petition, Adhikari claimed that the victims of post-poll violence were either unable to file police complaints or the police were not acting on their complaints.
“The primary concern is to ensure registration of complaints whenever a post-poll violence takes place irrespective of political affiliations,” the court had said, adding that it was also incumbent to ensure the safety and security of the citizens as an interim measure.
This report has been filed at a time when a BJP team is reaching out to victims of the post-poll violence in Bengal. The team along with BJP state leaders visited Cooch Behar, Basirhat, Sandeshkhali, Diamond Harbour, and Kolkata’s Maheshwari Bhavan.
“I had come to West Bengal during panchayat poll violence, followed by Vidhan Sabha violence and now after Lok Sabha polls. Why is there only violence in Bengal and nowhere else in the country? Mamata Banerjee, who speaks of democracy, needs to answer,” former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, a member of the delegation, had told ThePrint earlier.
On Tuesday, the BJP delegation visited Sandeshkhali, which had become a talking point in the run up to the Lok Sabha polls.
Speaking to the media, BJP leader Agnimitra Paul alleged the situation was almost similar to the battle of Independence. “Our workers are being threatened that once the central force leaves, they will face the brunt. This is not an easy fight; it will be a long one because it is as if we are fighting for independence in Bengal,” she said.
The deployment of the Central Armed Police Forces has already been extended till 21 June in the eastern state.
TMC spokesperson Shantanu Sen rubbished the charges, saying that the BJP was indulging in “a drama”.
“The people of West Bengal have rejected the BJP, but they are unable to accept the defeat. The BJP is creating a drama and defaming Bengal by alleging post-poll violence. They did the same back in 2021 as well, but has it helped them win votes?” Sen told ThePrint.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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