Calcutta High Court orders CAPF deployment in Murshidabad to contain clashes over Waqf Amendment Act

The Calcutta High Court on Saturday ordered the deployment of Central Armed Forces in West Bengal’s Murshidabad where protests against the Waqf Amendment Act spiralled into violence, killing at least three people. .A Bench of Justices Soumen Sen and Raja Basu Chowdhury said that the measures taken by the State government have not been adequate and action has to be taken on a war footing to arrest the rioters. “Constitutional Courts cannot be a mute spectator and embroil itself in technical defences when the safety and security of the people are at danger. The deployment of Central Armed forces earlier could have de- escalated the situations as it appears adequate measure have not been taken in time,” the Bench said. Hence, it directed the deployment of Central Armed Forces in the district. “Accordingly, we direct, the deployment of Central Armed Forces in district Murshidabad who shall operate in the District in co-operation with the civil administration so that the situation which has necessitated the deployment of the armed forces is effectively dealt with and normalcy is restored. This direction, however, shall not be limited to the district of Murshidabd and as and when required it should be extended to other districts faced with similar situation in which case the Central Forces may be deployed immediately to arrest the situation and bring normalcy.” .The Court passed the order after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and opposition leader in the West Bengal assembly, Suvendu Adhikari and a lawyer named Tarun Jyoti filed a public interest litigation (PIL) petition. It was argued that the presence of central armed forces may be necessary to stop the escalation of violence in parts of the state. However, the state government opposed the plea arguing that it is a politically motivated petition, and steps have already been taken to control the violence. The Court was also informed that 138 people have been arrested so far and six companies of Border Security Force (BSF) have been deployed to assist the police. .But the Court said that there is internal disturbance in some districts of the State. Therefore, it ordered the deployment of central armed forces. The Bench further directed the State government to filed a comprehensive reporter detailing the steps taken following the Court’s orders. “The interim arrangement shall continue till 17th April, 2025. All the parties may file their affidavits in the meantime. The matter is made returnable on 17th April, 2025,” it said. .Senior Advocates Soumya Majumder and Billwadal Bhattacharya along with advocates Kaustav Bagchi, Anish Kr Mukherjee and Suryaneel Das appeaed for the petitioners. West Bengal was represented through Senior Advocate Kalyan Bandyopadhyay and advocates Anirban Ray, Arka Kumar Nag and Debangshu Dinda. Advocates Nilanjan Bhattacharjee and Siddhartha Lahiri represented the Central government. .[Read Order]