Fact-finding team finds Police negligence in Ram Navami Violence in Bengal

Following the violence on Ram Navami in West Bengal a six-member fact-finding team led by former Patna High Court Chief Justice Narasimha Reddy. The team on attempted to visit the violence-hit area in the Hooghly district but was stopped by West Bengal police. The team spoke about the visit on April 13 and said that police took no actions against the rioters during the violence. Former Patna High Court Chief Justice Narasimha Reddy said, “On the 8th they were not permitted to visit the place. On the 9th I joined them and made an attempt to visit Howrah where the stone pelting incident took place. Everything was normal but there too we were stopped and said that Section 144 has been imposed here. They argued for 30 minutes and sent messages to the victims. They revealed that after permission the processions were carried out. When it started some people started stone pelting, attacking houses, and women. When the police came after they had gone and baton-charged the people who had received injuries.”