NEW DELHI: There were 15,000 incidents of post-poll violence in West Bengal in which 25 people were killed and 7,000 women were molested, according to a fact-finding report of the civil society group Call for Justice headed by former Chief Justice of Sikkim High Court Justice (Retd) Permod Kohli.
The report on post-poll violence was submitted on Tuesday to the Centre, which assured that it would take action in the matter. Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy referred to the report and said the magnitude and reach of the post-poll violence touched many villages and towns all across West Bengal simultaneously beginning the night of May 2 when the results of the assembly elections were declared.
“This is a clear indication that most of the incidents are not sporadic but premeditated, organised and conspiratorial,” the report stated. The five-member team included two retired IAS and one IPS officers.
The civil society group said the report was prepared after the five-member team visited Bengal and met a cross-section of people there. Reddy said that the Home Ministry will study the report and will try to implement its recommendations. Citing the report, the junior home minister said 16 districts of the state were affected by the post-poll violence.
“The report said due to the post-poll violence, many people have left their homes in West Bengal and had taken shelter in Assam, Jharkhand and Odisha,” he said. According to the report, some of the hardened criminals, mafia dons and criminal gangs who were already in police records allegedly “led and carried the deadly attacks unhindered, (which) reveals that there is clear political patronage even before the elections and same being used to silence the political rivals”.
The houses of some people were completely burned and destroyed and they were not even allowed to work, the report stated. The connecting bridge to a village that voted for a particular party was demolished. Their water connection has been snatched, claimed the report. The report claimed the incidents of targeted destruction and vandalisation of properties, residential and commercial, have the sole purpose to deprive people of their livelihood and choke them economically.
Report should be placed before SC, says team
The team suggested that the report should be placed before the SC which may consider forming a SIT promptly for a fair probe. The Centre should initiate disciplinary proceedings on delinquent officers who failed to discharge their duties, the team suggested.