Repolling for 696 polling booths in the West Bengal panchayat polls took place peacefully on Monday even as the Calcutta High Court directed that First Information Reports (FIR) be registered in connection with deaths that occurred in the violence on the day of polling.
The repolling in 696 polling booths was held across 18 districts of the State without any major incident of violence. Four personnel of the Central forces were deployed at every booth where repolls were held. The highest number of polling booths that went for repoll was in Murshidabad where 175 booths went for repoll followed by 110 in Malda district.
The Calcutta High Court order came in response to a petition filed by State Congress president Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.
“With regard to the people who have lost their lives, since it is alleged that it is on account of the violence, which occurred on July 8, 2023, necessarily in all cases, where people have lost their lives, FIRs have to be registered and post-mortem be performed,” a Division Bench of Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya said.
Also Read | West Bengal panchayat polls | Political blame game over violence
The Bench said the post-mortem be videographed and the injuries sustained by the victims be appropriately noted and placed before the court in a report.
The High Court also ordered the State government that the injured be provided the best treatment in government hospitals and if they require special care, which is not available in those medical centres, necessary arrangements be immediately made for transferring the injured to bigger hospitals.
About 36 persons lost their lives, including 18 on the day of poll, and hundreds were injured in the violence during the recently concluded panchayat elections.
Mr. Chowdhury has filed a petition seeking an investigation by a sitting judge of the High Court or by an independent agency into the violence during the panchayat polls. Mr. Chowdhury, who appeared in person before the court, said the repolling in 696 booths as directed by the Election Commission of India was “like a drop in the ocean”. The Congress leader said the State government had a premonition that violence would occur on the day of polling but no steps had been taken.
Repoll peaceful
The High Court also sought a report into the violence on July 8 from the Inspector-General, Border Security Force, who was appointed Nodal Officer for the deployment of Central forces.
“The Inspector-General, BSF, Nodal Officer, who has been appointed for deployment of Central forces, shall file a report before this court as regards the violence, which took place in various booths during the election on July 8, 2023.,” the court ordered.
Vote counting will be held on Tuesday. During the hearing in the court, the issue of security at counting centres was raised. The counsel for the West Bengal State Election Commission submitted that 339 counting centres and one company of Central forces plus State Armed Police Forces had been deployed for each centre.
Meanwhile, West Bengal Governor C.V. Ananda Bose, who met Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the darkest hour was just before dawn.
“There will be light at the end of the tunnel. The only message I could get today is — if winter comes, can spring be far behind? Good will happen in the days to come,” Dr. Bose said in an oblique reference to the violence in the West Bengal panchayat polls.
