NHRC constitutes 7-member committee to examine complaints of post-poll violence in West Bengal

The chairperson of National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Justice Arun Mishra has constituted a seven-member committee to inquire into complaints regarding post-poll violence in West Bengal.

. The move comes pursuant to an order passed by the Calcutta High Court on June 18 directing NHRC chairperson to constitute a committee to examine complaints by persons claiming to have been displaced by post poll violence in the east-Indian State.

The committee will be headed by Rajeev Jain , member of NHRC and will also consist of the following persons:

- Atif Rasheed, Vice Chairperson, National Commission for Minorities.

- (Dr.) Rajulben L. Desai, Member, National Commission for Women.

- Santosh Mehra, Director General (Investigation), NHRC.

- Pradip Kumar Panja, Registrar, West Bengal State Human Rights Commission.

- Raju Mukherjee, Member Secretary, West Bengal State Legal Services Authority.

- Manzil Saini, DIG (Investigation), NHRC.

. According to a press statement by NHRC, the committee has been tasked with the following functions:

- This Committee shall examine all cases of post poll violence in West Bengal, complaints for which have already been received in the National Human Rights Commission or which may be received;

- The Committee shall also examine the complaints which have been received by the West Bengal State Legal Services Authority and also further complaints that may be received by the Legal Services Authority;

- The cases shall be examined, including by visiting the affected areas and shall submit a comprehensive report to the High Court of Calcutta about the present situation and also steps to be taken to ensure confidence of the people that they can peacefully live in their houses and also carry on their occupation or business to earn their livelihood;

- The Committee shall also point out the persons, prima-facie, responsible for crime and the officers who maintained calculated silence on the issue.

. The High Court had, on June 18, noted that while the State government has been denying instance of post poll violence from the very beginning, the petitions filed by certain affected parties and a report submitted by the State Legal Services Secretary in this regard, painted a different picture.

"It is the duty of the State to maintain law and order and to inspire confidence in the residents. The State from the very beginning had been denying everything but facts on record and report by State Legal Services Authority show differently," the Court had said.

The State cannot be allowed to proceed in the manner it likes but somehow from facts available on record such action is missing, the Court had said on June 18.

"Under these circumstances, we direct NHRC to constitute a committee to examine the complaints," the Court had directed.

The committee shall examine all the cases by visiting the areas and report to this court about steps to be taken to reinstate the confidence of the people, it further said.

The order was passed on a bunch of petitions alleging that many people from opposition were subject to violence after the ruling All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) swept to power in the 2021 assembly elections.

Many of them had to flee their houses due to the violence and they were not being allowed to return, the petitions alleged.

NHRC constitutes 7-member committee to examine complaints of post-poll violence in West Bengal

Zeb Hasan

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