On Monday (July 10), the Calcutta High Court refused to grant an pressing listening to to a petition, which sought motion towards the State Election Commission (SEC) for failing to deploy enough police personnel at polling stations through the West Bengal Panchayat elections.
The matter got here up for listening to earlier than a 2-Judge Bench of Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Hiranmay Bhattacharya. The petitioner identified that the State Election Commission flouted the order of the courtroom dated July 4, 2023, and didn’t deploy enough personnel in polling stations.
The petitioner thus sought contempt of courtroom proceedings towards the SEC. While refusing to grant pressing listening to, Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam stated, “No urgency. Let it come in regular course. We will hear.”
Calcutta High Court refuses to grant an pressing listening to to a Petition in search of Contempt of Court proceedings towards State Election Commission for disobeying July 4 orders and never deploying enough police personnel in polling stations.
Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam: No urgency.… pic.twitter.com/7VcubOLUH7
— Bar & Bench (@barandbench) July 10, 2023
It have to be talked about that on July 4 this yr, the Calcutta High Court directed the ‘Force Coordinator’ to deploy central forces at each polling station through the panchayat election within the State.
“Inspector General of BSF who has been appointed ‘Force Coordinator’ may issue appropriate directions so that the deployment of the Central forces can cover all polling stations in the State,” the courtroom said. It additionally directed deployment of police and central forces in equal measure for the complete length of the election course of until the declaration of the ultimate outcomes.
The Court stated, “It is submitted by the learned Deputy Solicitor General that considering the forces which have been deployed, there will be nearly 65,000 active personnel and the State police forces will be about 70,000 and the deployment on a ratio of 50=50 will solve the issue.”
Violence in West Bengal throughout Panchayat polls
The panchayat elections held on July 8 in West Bengal had been marred by widespread violence throughout the state. Reports emerged of sales space capturing, injury to poll bins, and assaults on presiding officers from districts comparable to Murshidabad, Behar, Malda, South 24 Parganas, North Dinajpur, and Nadia.
Tragically, the violence resulted within the lack of over 30 lives and quite a few accidents. The State Election Commission had established a complete of 61,636 polling stations for conducting elections to three,317 grampanchayats, 341 panchayat samitis, and 20 zila parishads in West Bengal.
To make sure the protected conduct of elections, 59,000 personnel from the Central Armed Police Forces and different state police forces had been entrusted with the accountability of guarding the polling stations, together with the 4,834 delicate cubicles the place solely CAPFs had been deployed.
It is value noting that below the Trinamool Congress Party’s rule, West Bengal has witnessed a deteriorating legislation and order scenario. Mamata Banerjee’s authorities has been unsuccessful in containing the escalating violence, notably the focused killings of RSS and BJP staff, which have change into distressingly commonplace.
The use of bombs as a method of political rivalry has additionally change into alarmingly frequent, even on the block or village degree. Despite the numerous variety of political killings, mainstream media retailers have avoided labelling it a homicide of democracy because of the apprehension of potential vindictive actions from Mamata Banerjee’s authorities.
