Poll violence: Bengal ‘recall’ petition in High Court

KOLKATA: The Bengal government on Tuesday filed a “recall” application in the Calcutta high court seeking modification of the five-judge bench order of July 2 that directed the state to provide all logistical support to the NHRC panel and arrange for rehabilitation of post-poll violence victims while providing them rations.
The state’s move comes after the seven-member NHRC panel submitted a “brief” report in a sealed cover to the larger bench on June 30 on the post-poll complaints it had received and sought time from the court to visit places before submitting a comprehensive report. In the recall application, the state submitted that the larger bench had issued some fresh directives to the administration on July 2 based on the interim report though the state was yet to get access to the report.
The state, while complying with the HC directives, stated in the application that the larger bench had recorded the government’s “lukewarm response” in its July 2 order without giving it an opportunity to respond to the findings in the report. “It is submitted that the findings in the interim report are required to be supported by evidence and reasons, which the applicants are still unaware of,” the application says. Bengal also prayed to the HC to “expunge the prima facie observations of the special bench which are based on the interim report and annexures attached”, and grant the state an opportunity to file its response.