The Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, has filed a petition with the Calcutta High Court to allow him to visit the burned warehouse site in Anandapur, Kolkata. This site is where the remains of 21 individuals were discovered, with several others still missing. Adhikari’s move came after the police imposed restrictions in a 100-meter radius around the warehouse following his plan to visit and hold a protest march, citing government negligence.
The petition filed by Adhikari has been accepted by the Calcutta High Court’s single-judge bench of Justice Suvra Ghosh. The date for the first hearing is yet to be communicated. Initially, Adhikari sought permission from the police to conduct a protest march at the site, which was denied by the local Narendrapur Police Station due to concerns about potential traffic congestion affecting schools and hospitals in the vicinity.
Adhikari has alleged that the prohibitory orders were issued post the fire incident to prevent him from visiting the site. He expressed his usual experience of being denied police permission for events, only to later receive approval from the Calcutta High Court. An eyewitness who alerted the fire services after the incident mentioned that prompt action by the state fire services could have averted the tragedy, criticizing the delay over jurisdictional protocols.
