A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was filed in the Calcutta High Court on Thursday over alleged incidents of post-poll vandalism, including the toppling of a Vladimir Lenin statue in Murshidabad and the shops damaged by bulldozers in Hogg Market in Kolkata.

The PIL was mentioned before a Division Bench of Justice Arijit Banerjee and Justice Rai Chattopadhyay.

The court allowed the petition to be filed and is likely to hear the matter on Friday.

Advocate Ritankar Das, who mentioned the matter, said that the petition raises three issues. “First, we have challenged political rallies involving JCBs, bulldozers and other earth-moving machinery,” Das told mediapersons.

“The second issue is that a statue of Lenin was vandalised in Murshidabad. This was also brought to the notice of the High Court. The third issue is that rampant vandalism took place in the New Market–Hogg Market area, where shops were damaged using bulldozers and other earth-moving machinery. The court heard the matter and allowed it to be filed and is likely to be heard on Friday,” he added.

The petition has sought the court’s intervention in the use of bulldozers in Hogg Market as well as incidents of post-poll vandalism and political violence in various parts of the state.

Although the BJP leadership has repeatedly claimed that the violence will be suppressed with strict measures, the state administration has also warned of strict action.

Meanwhile, the police have arrested eight persons in connection with the bulldozer procession and vandalism in New Market. Kolkata Police said that four people were initially arrested on Wednesday afternoon and four others were arrested later in the evening. An FIR has been registered against those arrested under multiple sections.