Kolkata: A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking imposition of the state emergency in West Bengal, constituting SIT to investigate post-poll violence cases, and to provide immediate relief to the displaced people by providing food, shelter, medicines, pandemic resources, constituting a helpline number monitored by central forces etc.
Plea seeks directions to the centre to constitute an inquiry commission that can examine the scale and causes of the exodus.
PIL has been filed by a group of five people collectively who submit that there is a "widely prevalent atmosphere of terror in the state of West Bengal due to the rampant politically motivated violence, killings and attacks on the person, property of individuals, forced exodus by the state, in light of which the ordinary citizens cannot be expected to approach the appropriate forums for claiming relief, due to the fear of identity disclosure and subsequent targeted attacks".
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They contend that a large number of people are being assaulted, women raped and murdered, houses burnt to ashes, forced exodus of people etc and the state police has failed to maintain the law and order situation.
Police failed not only by not registering FIRs, not investigating cases but by being present at the place of offence and not providing any protection, added the petitioners. Petitioners seek directions to the central government to deploy central protection forces including armed forces in the state to restore the law and order situation.
The plea prays to set up fast track courts to deal with matters relating to the prosecution of an individual or organisation.
"It is humbly submitted that the reliefs are imperative in order to protect the life, property and livelihood of the people of West Bengal under Article 21 of the Constitution of India which is brazenly violated in the political pogrom by members and supporters of the ruling Trinamool Congress(TMC) and to prevent the ongoing exodus of citizens from the state of West Bengal," submitted the petitioners.
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