Use central forces, intel inputs to stop Beldanga violence: HC | Kolkata News

Kolkata: Flagging the repeated spurt in violence in Murshidabad as “worrisome”, Calcutta High Court on Tuesday urged the Bengal govt to utilise central armed police forces and use intelligence inputs to prevent a recurrence of violence in Beldanga.A division bench of Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Partha Sarathi Sen also observed that it was open to the Centre considering a probe by the NIA in the Beldanga incident. Expressing concern over the lives and property, and safety and security of the public in Beldanga, the HC directed the district magistrate to restore peace in the area and see to it that no fresh violence erupted.

The court was hearing two PILs seeking deployment of central forces, considering the violence that broke out in Beldanga last week after a Murshidabad labourer was allegedly beaten to death in Jharkhand. Kalyan Banerjee, representing the Bengal govt, told the court that five companies of central forces — deployed in Beldanga during the 2024 communal conflagration — were deployed to control the situation. He added that the situation at present was peaceful and, if the situation demanded deployment of additional companies, the state had “no issue”. Additional solicitor general (ASG) Asok Kumar Chakrabarti submitted that of the five companies of CAPF present, only one was used. He also argued that BSF was used for only 2 hours on Jan 16 and 17, and that 24 hours’ patrolling was needed.Banerjee, countering ASG’s claim, said that it seemed like the Centre was fighting with the state. He also called the PIL by leader of opposition Suvendu Adhikari a “political interest litigation”. The division bench directed the state to file an affidavit within 2 weeks and asked petitioner to file an affidavit-in-opposition within 2 weeks thereafter.