Calcutta HC orders CBI probe into violence during nomination process for West Bengal panchayat polls

KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday ordered a CBI probe into the violence during the nomination process for West Bengal Panchayat polls.
The Bengal State Election Commission (SEC) on Tuesday requisitioned the Centre for 22 companies of CAPF — one company per district — for the panchayat polls scheduled on July 8, after the Supreme Court, earlier in the day, upheld the Calcutta High Court’s decision to hold the polls with central forces in all, not just “sensitive”, districts.
The bench of justices B V Nagarathna and Manoj Misra rejected the plea of the commission and the Bengal government, challenging the Calcutta HC’s order.
Noting that past elections in the state were marred by violence, the top court said there was no need to interfere with the HC’s order, which was passed to ensure free and fair elections.
“The fact remains that the tenor of the order of the HC is ultimately to ensure that free and fair election is conducted in the entire state of West Bengal since the state is conducting election for local bodies on a single day and having regard to the volume of booths which are being set up, we find that the order of the HC does not call for any interference,” the bench said.
“Holding elections cannot be a licence for violence and the HC has seen earlier instances of violence,” Justice Nagarathna observed. “Elections cannot be accompanied by violence. If persons are not able to file their nominations and if they are finished off while they are going to file, where is the free and fair election?”
The Centre later said it was immediately sending eight companies of BSF, six companies of CRPF and four companies each of SSB and ITBP forces to Bengal. SC Budakoti, IG (BSF) has been appointed the Bengal CAPF coordinator for the panchayat polls. SEC secretary Nilanjan Sandilya said the forces would be deployed as soon as the Centre sends them.