KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court on Thursday ordered the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to probe into the violence during Ram Navami celebrations in West Bengal’s Howrah, Hooghly and South Dinajpur districts last month.
A division bench headed by acting Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court TS Sivagnanam directed the state government to hand over the CCTV footage and other documents related to the violence to the central agency within two weeks.
Hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari of the BJP and others, the high court directed transfer of the investigation into violence at Shibpur in Howrah and Rishra in Hooghly district to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) from the West Bengal Police.
Clashes broke out between two groups at Shibpur area of Howrah during Ram Navami festivities on March 30, during which several vehicles were torched and shops were ransacked. Violence was also reported on April 2 evening during a procession as part of the festival at Rishra. A youth from Bihar’s Munger was arrested on the charge of carrying a firearm during a Ram Navami procession in Howrah, whom the TMC claimed was a BJP supporter.
Welcoming the HC order, BJP’s state president Sukanta Majumdar tweeted, “Welcome the Calcutta HC decision to transfer the violence incidents happened on Ram Navami in WB to NIA. Three riots were pre-planned and instigated with the support of TMC govt. It was triggered by the inflammatory speech of the CM.”
Asks state govt to hand over CCTV footage
A division bench headed by acting Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam directed the state government to hand over the CCTV footage and other documents related to the violence to the central agency within two weeks.