KOLKATA: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) submitted its final report on post-poll violence in West Bengal before a five-judge bench of Calcutta High Court headed by acting Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal on Tuesday.
The court asked the NHRC to give copies to the state government so that it may prepare its reply during the hearing on July 22.
The court also ordered the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) to conduct a DNA test of the body of BJP worker Abhijit Sarkar, who was allegedly strangled to death by a mob in north Kolkata after the victim’s family said they could not identify him. The court ordered the Command Hospital to conduct the second port-mortem for the DNA test.
The Trinamool Congress government received a jolt on July 2, when the court, taking a note of the NHRC’s interim report, observed in its order that the state was found on a "wrong foot" and had more to "conceal than to reveal" on the issue of post-poll violence. In its order, the bench said many suffered due to sexual violence and even minor girls were not spared.
Priyanka Tribrewal, the lawyer representing the victims of post-poll violence, told the court on Tuesday that members of the Sarkar family could not identify the decomposed body. The court said DNA samples from the corpse should be matched with the victim’s brother Biswajit Sarkar.
Representing the state, advocate general Kishor Dutta accused Sarkar’s family of not cooperating with the investigating agency. He said several attempts were made to record their statements were in vain.
Tibrewal said while recording statements under section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), Rs 600 was collected from each person for videography. The court wanted to know who is collecting this money and whether receipts are being issued. The matter will be heard on July 22, the day of the hearing.
On July 2, the court show-caused IPS officer Rashid Munir Khan, the deputy commissioner of police (south suburban division) after NHRC members were allegedly restricted and manhandled by a section of people when they arrived at Jadavpur to take stock of the situation.