Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court has stepped in to address the volatile situation in Beldanga, Murshidabad, directing the West Bengal government to immediately utilize Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) to restore order. Terming the repeated incidents of violence in the district as "worrisome," the Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Partha Sarathi Sen emphasized that the State must ensure the protection of the "life, liberty, dignity, and property" of citizens.
The order comes on a petition filed by Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, who alleged that the violence amounted to a "premeditated campaign" and "ethnic cleansing" targeting a specific community.
While the State Government, represented by Senior Advocate Kalyan Bandyopadhyay, argued that peace had returned and termed the petition a "Political Interest Litigation," the Court refused to dismiss the concerns. The Bench directed the State to stop hesitating and fully utilize the central forces already stationed in Murshidabad.
"In our opinion, the repeated incidents in Murshidabad are worrisome. Effective and immediate measures are required to be taken... The State must utilise the central armed forces already deployed in Murshidabad. Ensure that no repetition of such incidents takes place."
The Court clarified that its order does not prevent the deployment of additional forces if the situation demands it.
Regarding the petitioner's prayer for an investigation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the High Court refrained from ordering it directly at this stage. Instead, it left the door open for the Union Government to act independently. The Bench observed that the Centre is free to invoke Section 6(5) of the NIA Act suo motu if it finds that the scheduled offenses have been committed.
This puts the ball in the Centre's court. If the Ministry of Home Affairs deems the Beldanga violence a threat to national security or sovereignty, it can take over the probe without waiting for further judicial orders.
The unrest in Beldanga reportedly flared up following the return of the body of a migrant worker allegedly killed in Jharkhand, which triggered communal tensions. The petitioner argued that the violence follows a pattern of targeting specific groups on specific days, a claim the State vehemently denied, asserting that 30 individuals had already been arrested.