Calcutta HC seeks report on violence during puja from DGP

The Calcutta High Court has called for a comprehensive report from the West Bengal Director General of Police (DGP) on recent incidents of alleged attacks on Durga Puja pandals across the state. The directive was issued by a division bench led by Justice Hiranmoy Bhattacharya, which instructed district superintendents of police and all state commissioners to gather information on these incidents and report to the DGP. The DGP will compile the findings and submit a final report to the High Court by November 14.

This report request follows a plea submitted by Ritu Singh, the president of Vishwa Hindu Parishad's Nadia district branch, who urged the court to assign an independent investigative agency to handle the cases. Singh’s appeal highlighted alleged attacks on Durga Puja pandals, including incidents in Kolkata’s Garden Reach, Shitalkuchi in Cooch Behar, Shyampur in Howrah, and various other locations, where idols were reportedly vandalized. Singh and her counsel argued that an independent investigation is necessary for transparency and to ensure unbiased scrutiny, as they believe the state police might lack impartiality.

Appearing for the state, West Bengal’s Advocate General acknowledged that reports of pandal attacks were mentioned in Singh’s petition but pointed out that no formal complaints had been filed by the petitioner. The Advocate General also requested additional time to compile the state’s findings for the court. Singh’s legal team, however, expressed doubts about the effectiveness of a state-led investigation, arguing that past experiences indicated a potential for bias in sensitive matters such as these.

The court took the arguments under advisement, with Justice Bhattacharya questioning the need for a transfer of investigative responsibility. Singh’s lawyer countered that the “state police have failed” and are not fit to carry out an impartial probe, especially given the scale and frequency of the attacks in districts and Kolkata.

After considering the arguments, the High Court bench directed the DGP to compile a final report on the alleged incidents. This report will help the court decide whether further action or instructions are necessary, particularly regarding the independence of the investigative process. The state government must submit the DGP’s findings to a bench led by the Chief Justice for review on November 14.