Murshidabad violence victims anxious about safety, State must ensure protection: Calcutta HC

The Hindu

16-05-2025

The Calcutta High Court observed that victims of Murshidabad violence are anxious about their safety in the violence-affected areas, and said that the State must ensure their rehabilitation, safety and protection.
'They should be restored to their original place after restoring confidence in the system. In the interregnum, the State must ensure proper shelter and accommodation to the victim. Upon restoration and rehabilitation, the State must ensure their safety and security. It should be the duty of the administration to ensure peace, harmony and protection of the property and lives of the victims,' a Division Bench of Justices Soumen Sen and Raja Basu Chowdhury stated on Thursday (May 15).
Violence had erupted in Murshidabad's Samsherganj police station area on April 11 and April 12 following a protest against the passage of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025. In the extended areas of Dhulian municipality and Tinpakuria gram panchayat, several houses and shops were torched and vandalised on these two days.
On April 12, a father and son were killed in Samsherganj's Jafrabad during the violence, and another person died in police firing in Suti police station area.
A three-member committee was formed in April on the directions of the Calcutta High Court to submit a report for the restoration of normalcy and rehabilitation of the victims. It has one member each from the National Human Rights Commission, West Bengal State Human Rights Commission and the State Legal Services Authority.
'Premeditated vandalism and massacre'
The court in its May 15 order stated, 'It is revealed from the report of the committee that the vandalism and massacre are premeditated and appears to be an organized crime.'
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The report and video footage submitted by the committee also noted extensive damage to property and livelihood at Betbona village, Palpara and Ghoshpara in Samsherganj area. It was also observed from the committee's report that several homes were vandalised, people's source of livelihood was taken away, and movables of every possible kind 'pilfered and looted with impunity'.
'The victims appear to be in a sorry state of affairs... It appears from the report that presently the victims are not acutely dissatisfied with the relief measures but they are anxious about their meaningful existence in view of their sufferings,' the Calcutta High Court observed.
The court pointed out that the State shall take note of the anxiety expressed by the victims and take appropriate measures in this regard.
'Shall consider permanent BSF camp'
Meanwhile, the Calcutta High Court highlighted the committee's observations on the role of the police and said it 'shall consider' the victims' demand for a permanent camp of the Border Security Forces (BSF).
'The report submitted by the committee has posed a serious question as to the efficacy of the investigation considering the huge number of cases resulted from the violence… the committee was of the view that there may be a reasonable negative view on the police's performance having regard to the facts came to the notice of the team... Shock and trauma were writ large on the faces of the sufferers and the common grievance was lack of timely police assistance,' the court noted.
As of May 16, the West Bengal Police have made 353 arrests in connection with the mob violence, and a total of 13 arrests in connection with the murder of father-son duo Hargobind Das and Chandan Das outside their home in Samsherganj's Jafrabad on April 12.
It is also worth noting that the bereaved Das family, which rejected the State's compensation, had petitioned the Calcutta High Court for an inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The petition was earlier released by the Single Bench of Justice Tirthankar Ghosh since the aforementioned Division Bench was already hearing matters pertaining to the Murshidabad matter. However, on May 15, the Division Bench of Justices Soumen Sen and Raja Basu Chowdhury also released the matter for it to be placed before the Chief Justice.
State's compensation
The State, in its affidavit to the court, stated that as many as 1,093 social media accounts have been blocked since April 11.
According to counsel Kalyan Bandopadhyay, who appeared on behalf of the State, the government also formulated a rehabilitation project and sanctioned a sum of ₹3,69,60,000 to rehabilitate almost 283 families identified till now, for reconstruction of their houses under 'Banglar Bari Scheme'.
Mr. Bandopadhyay also drew the court's attention to the fact that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, during her recent visit to the area, handed over cheques worth ₹1.2 lakh each to 283 households, along with 40 sewing machines and 40 riot-affected victims.
After the Chief Minister's visit, a large police camp was also set up in the riot-hit area of Samsherganj.