Murshidabad: HC orders CAPF deployment, forces to work with cops
Times of India | 13 April 2025
Kolkata: Calcutta High Court on Saturday ordered deployment of central forces in trouble-torn places of Murshidabad and directed CAPF to work in tandem with state police force to restore peace and protect lives and properties. In Murshidabad, two persons have been hacked to death, and one teenager succumbed to bullet injuries following violent protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025.
The order came following a petition filed by state leader of opposition Suvendu Adhikari who had alleged "complete breakdown of fundamental civil order" in several places of the state. Adhikari, in his petition, had sought the court's directive to deploy CAPF, citing that "Hindus were under attack" in the state.
A special division bench of justices Soumen Sen and Raja Basu Chowdhury held that the court could not keep its eyes closed to the situation in Murshidabad. It observed that the purpose of the Calcutta High Court was not to protect any particular individual, but to protect the lives and properties of people in general. It said that HC had ordered deployment of central forces on earlier occasions to tackle post-poll violence. The court also directed the state to seek central forces for other places in the state if the situation demanded so.
State counsel Arka Nag submitted in court that the situation was under control now and 138 people had been arrested in connection with the incidents at Samserganj and Suti. ADG-ranked senior cops were in Murshidabad and DGP Rajeev Kumar was also on his way to the district, the counsel said.
Counsel for the petitioner Tarunjyoti Tewari submitted that state police had requested BSF to assist the police team in order to restore peace in Murshidabad, but the district magistrate had not allowed that. Nag opposed the submission stating that six companies of BSF had been deployed in the district. The state is deploying 1,000 additional cops from adjoining districts to Murshidabad, he added.
The bench directed ADG (CISF) and ADG (law and order) to submit reports on the steps taken during the next hearing on April 17.