[BREAKING] Calcutta High Court issues contempt of court notice to South Kolkata DCP after obstruction of NHRC team probing post-poll violence

The Calcutta High Court on Friday issued a show cause notice for contempt of court proceedings against Deputy Commissioner of Police of South Kolkata, Rashid Munir Khan for failing to prevent obstruction to the team of National Human Rights Commission which was visiting Jadavpur to examine allegations of post poll violence.

The Court also ordered a second post mortem to be conducted with respect to BJP worker Avijit Sarkar, who was allegedly killed by a mob in the wake of the post-poll violence in the State.

Petitioner, Priyanka Tibrewal had filed a supplementary affidavit seeking second autopsy of Sarkar which has now been ordered by the Court. Senior Counsel Harish Salve appeared on behalf of Tibrewal.

A five-judge Bench headed by Acting Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal passed the order in a batch of cases alleging violence in the State after the All India Trinamool Congress had swept to power in the State in the 2021 assembly elections.

In its order passed today, the Court called for medical treatment to be provided to those who suffered as a result of the alleged violence.

The Court further issued notice to District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police in certain districts which were hit by the violence. The order was passed after examining an interim report submitted by the NHRC.

When Advocate General Kishore Datta sought permission to receive a copy of the interim report and make submissions on the same, the Court said,

"On July 13, you will be given opportunity to make submissions on the final report. We are not saying anything final, we are just trying to ascertain more information."

The interim report stated that the Vice-Chairman of the National Commission for Minorities, who was part of the NHRC team appointed to look into the allegations of violence, was obstructed and prevented from performing his duties.

The High Court had, on June 18, ordered the Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to constitute a committee to examine complaints by persons displaced by post poll violence in West Bengal.

Pursuant to the same, the NHRC had constituted a 7-member committee which had visited various parts of West Bengal before submitting an interim report to the Court.

The Court will hear the case next on July 13.