Ram Navami violence: Bengal government challenges Calcutta High Court order in Supreme Court

Kolkata (IANS) | The West Bengal government has approached the Supreme Court challenging the Calcutta High Court order for an NIA probe into the Ram Navami clashes in Howrah and Hooghly districts. The state government said the probe could not be handed over to a central agency as the court’s order was on a petition filed by Leader of Opposition Shubhendu Adhikari with an ulterior political motive.

The matter will be heard on Friday.

On April 27, a division bench of the Calcutta High Court, while ordering an NIA probe into the case, also directed the state police to hand over all documents related to the case to the central agency.

NIA has already registered six FIRs in this case.

The central agency had sent letters to the Additional Director General in-charge of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the West Bengal Police, as well as the commissioners of the Chandranagar Police Commissionerate and Howrah City Police, seeking copies of documents related to the case.

Ordering an NIA probe, the bench had said that it was beyond the power of the state police to find those who were responsible for the violence.

Justice Sivagnanam also questioned the suspension of internet services in the areas.

Internet services cannot be suspended in such clashes, he said. People get stressed due to such incidents.