The Calcutta High Court on Thursday ordered a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into the violence in Howrah, Hooghly and Dalkhola during Ram Navami this year.
A division bench of acting chief justice ordered West Bengal Police to hand over all the necessary documents related to investigation to the National Investigation Agency within two weeks.
The high court has ordered all concerned police stations to hand over all records, FIRs and CCTV footage to the NIA within two weeks. The NIA will start Investigation into the matter after the NOC from the Central government.
The high court’s order came on BJP MLA Subhendu Adhikari PIL seeking an NIA probe into the violence on Ram Navami in West Bengal.
Violence broke out between two groups when a Ram Navami procession was taken out in West Bengal’s Howrah city last year. Vehicles were torched, shops ransacked and stones pelted during the violence.
After violence marred Ram Navami celebrations in the city, a large contingent of police was deployed.
Chanting slogans of ‘Jai Shri Ram’, thousands of people took part in those processions in Howrah, Kharagpur, Barrackpore, Bhadreswar, Siliguri and Asansol. Drumbeats, saffron flags and large cutouts of Lord Ram featured prominently in these processions. Some of those participating in the processions were carrying swords and trishulas.
The order of the high court comes after the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) took cognizance of a complaint alleging an attack by miscreants on Ram Navami procession despite permission in West Bengal’s Howrah district.