A Division Bench of the Calcutta High Court granted permission to the Union government to initiate a National Investigation Agency (NIA) investigation into the recent violence in Beldanga, Murshidabad district, West Bengal. The court also ordered the deployment of Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel in Beldanga until complete normalcy is restored, with the option of additional deployments if needed.
The High Court instructed the state government to effectively utilize the CAPF in the troubled areas. This decision came after a Public Interest Litigation filed by the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, requesting CAPF deployment and an NIA probe into the incident. Justices Sujoy Paul and Partha Sarathi Sen directed the District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police of Murshidabad to submit affidavits within 15 days, ensuring the safety of lives and property in the region.
Suvendu Adhikari had also written to Governor C.V. Ananda Bose, urging intervention in the ongoing tensions at Beldanga. He highlighted the lack of action by the state and district administrations in controlling the unruly mob that caused disturbances in the area. Adhikari further detailed how journalists, including female reporters, were attacked while covering the events at Beldanga.
