The Calcutta High Court has requested the West Bengal government to clarify its position regarding the National Investigation Agency (NIA) investigation into the violence and riot-like incidents at Beldanga in Murshidabad district earlier this year. Following the NIA’s probe initiation, the previous Trinamool Congress government under Mamata Banerjee had challenged the move in the Supreme Court.
With the recent change in government to a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) administration led by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, questions have arisen about whether the new state leadership will continue the legal battle in the apex court or allow the NIA investigation to proceed. A case related to the matter is pending in the Calcutta Court, and a division bench of Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Partha Sarathi Sen has instructed the state government to clarify its stance.
During the court proceedings, the state government’s counsel mentioned that while they were not fundamentally opposed to the NIA investigation’s continuation, they needed more time to decide on the potential application of sections under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967. Consequently, the division bench has asked the state government to provide its opinion on the matter by the following week.
The violence erupted in Beldanga in January this year following the death of a migrant worker in Jharkhand. Allegations surfaced that the worker was lynched in Jharkhand due to religious and linguistic factors, leading to protests and blockades in Beldanga. The situation escalated when protesters attacked police and journalists, resulting in injuries. Subsequently, the Jharkhand Police stated that the worker’s death was a suicide based on the post-mortem report.
