Supreme Court seeks response from West Bengal government on plea seeking reliefs for those "internally displaced" due to post-poll violence

The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought the response of the West Bengal government in a plea seeking relief for those people who have been "internally displaced" due to post poll violence in the State. .A vacation bench of Justices Vineet Saran and BR Gavai issued notice to the State and also impleaded National Human Rights Commission and National Commission for Women as parties to the case. The plea filed through Advocate-on-Record Shruti Agarwal, claimed that that post-poll violence in West Bengal after the 2021 assembly elections led to an exodus of people and internal displacement of such people in the State..The petition claimed that owing to the indifference of the State government, more than eighteen political activists lost their lives, sexual violence was committed against women with opposing political views, and loot, arson and destruction of both private and property took place in broad daylight..It was alleged that the police and "state-sponsored goons" are in cahoots, owing to which the former are not investigating cases and there is a failure to provide protection to those who are facing threats to their lives.."Due to the abovementioned circumstances, people are internally displaced and are forced to stay in Shelter Homes/Camps in and outside West Bengal. The Exodus of the people in West Bengal due to state sponsored violence has posed serious humanitarian issues related to their survival, where they are forced to live in deplorable conditions, in violation of their fundamental rights enshrined under Article 21 of the Constitution of India," it was contended. .It was claimed that several families were forced out of their homes leading to a humanitarian crisis amid the COVID-19 pandemic..The plea sought the following reliefs:Direct Centre to discharge its duty vested under Article 355 of the Constitution of India to protect the state from internal disturbance.Constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the incidents of political violence and targeted killings in the State as well as to determine whether the State machinery has been complicit with the perpetrators of violence. Provide immediate relief to the internally displaced persons affected due to post-poll violence by setting up camps, making provision for food, medicines, pandemic resources, etc. Direction to Centre to constitute an Inquiry Commission to assess the scale and causes of the exodus, and direction to State government to provide long-term relief to the internally displaced persons by making provision for their rehabilitation, compensation for loss of family members, property, livelihood, mental and emotional agony.Direct Centre to deploy central protection forces, including armed forces, for the restoration of law and order in the State of West Bengal.Directions for setting up and/or establishing a fast-track court to adjudicate the matters pertaining to the prosecution of any individual or organization