Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court, on Saturday, ordered the deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel in the violence-hit Murshidabad district of the state. Fresh violence over the Waqf (Amendment) Act on Saturday led to the death of three persons.
While a father-son duo were hacked to death in the remote Jafrabad area of the district, a rioter died of bullet injuries in Samserganj. The police said that the shot may have been fired by Border Security Force (BSF) personnel who have automatically been deployed in the district, which is within 50 km of the International Border with Bangladesh.
Property worth crores, belonging to Hindus – a minority in that district – have been destroyed over the last two days, even as chief minister Mamata Banerjee called for peace.
On Saturday, the High Court convened a special bench comprising Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Raja Basu Chowdhury to hear an urgent petition by Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari.
Adhikari presented a detailed report of the goings-on in the district and sought the deployment of CAPF personnel. The court gave the state 30 minutes to present its case.
The state claimed that there is no need for CAPF deployment as the situation in the district has been brought under control. State director general of police Rajeev Kumar has also moved base to Murshidabad to supervise operations. Moreover, the BSF has already been deployed, the state government submitted.
The court, however, said that it could not remain passive in the face of such allegations. Restoring peace and harmony in Murshidabad is of paramount importance and CAPF personnel can be deployed. It also turned down a submission that deployment of central forces personnel amounts to curtailment of the state’s rights.
The court directed the state police and the CAPF to work in coordination and bring an end to violence. All those involved in the violence will have to be arrested, the court ordered. It also told the state that the latter may seek the deployment of CAPF elsewhere if the need arises.
While the West Bengal government has claimed that the violence occurred due to sporadic outburst of emotions by Muslims against the Waqf Amendment Act, BSF officials deployed in the district said that the attacks were targeted against Hindus. Hundreds of families have actually run away from their homes.
“Several people would have been dead by now had the BSF not intervened on time,” an official said.
