Forced conversions in Malda: Calcutta High Court orders probe by CBI and NIA

The Calcutta High Court on Thursday ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the National Investigation Authority (NIA) to investigate the issue of forced religious conversion in West Bengal's Malda District [Smt Kalabati Mondal v. Union of India]..Justice Rajasekhar Mantha sought inputs from the agencies with regard to allegations of forced conversions, cross-border infiltration, threats and intimidation by accumulation and storage of huge quantities of arms and ammunition, and counterfeit currency. "Since the NIA and the CBI are the party respondents to the instant proceeding, appropriate inputs may be given from their side as regards the allegations made in the writ petition," the order recorded. Additionally, the Superintendent of Police (SP), Malda was asked to cooperate with the two agencies..The order was passed in a petition filed by two sisters who alleged that their husbands, who worked for a political party that had recent lost the assembly elections, were missing since November 2021. They claimed that the two were forcibly converted to Islam as part of a punishment for supporting a rival political party..The State, on the other hand, contended that the husbands had converted to Islam voluntarily, and had deposed to that effect under Section 164 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). They also refused to return to their residences, the State submitted. However, it was the petitioners' stand that these statements were mysterious and could not be countenanced..After considering the submissions, the Court expressed surprise at the fact that the police station had not registered first information reports (FIRs) or ordered any steps as per the Supreme Court's judgment in Lalita Kumari v. Govt of UP & Ors..Therefore, the bench directed the SP, Malda to independently submit a detailed report on the allegations of the petitioners, steps taken by the police, or any other vital information that would be necessary for the determination of the issues raised in the petition."A detailed chronology of events before and after receipt of complaints from the petitioners may also be set out by the SP," the single-judge said. .Finding that the CBI and NIA were parties to the plea, inputs were sought from the agencies regarding the allegations in the plea, along with other connected issues. "The aforesaid allegations may not be directly in issue to the claim of the writ petitioners but appear vitally linked to the allegations of abduction and forcible conversion of the petitioners’ husbands.".The SP was also directed to review the security of the petitioners and take immediate measures in that regard, since they apprehended serious threat to their lives..With this, the case was adjourned to June 21..Senior Advocate Asok Kumar Chakrabarti along with Advocates Debapriya Samanta, Rajendra Banerjee, A Dasgupta, Sujit Bhunia, Susmita Saha Dutta, Anindya Sundar Das, Arka Bhattacharyay, Mansaram Mondal, Raj Kumar Sain, Narayan Mondal and Raja Adhikari appeared for the petitioners. Additional Solicitor General Billwadal Bhattacharyya, Advocates Dhiraj Trivedi, Somnath Adhikari, Debasish Tandon, Bhaskar Prosad Banerjee, P Baidya, Kallol Mondal, Subhra Nag and Senior Government Pleader SK Md Galib represented the respondents. .[Read Order]