HC directs WB govt to file status report on 49 Jhargram cases

Kolkata, Feb 18 (PTI) Calcutta High Court today directedthe West Bengal government to file a status report on 49 casesthat were filed in Jhargram police district in West Midnaporein which 500 killings, gangrapes and disappearences werereported but no action had been taken, as claimed by a PIL.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice J N Patel andJustice Asim Kumar Roy directed the state government to filethe report by March 24 on the PIL that was filed by renownedauthor and social activist Mahasweta Devi and others.

The petitioners'' counsels Kashikanta Moitra and SardarAmjad Ali submitted before the court that Jhargram policedistrict had been carved out of Midnapore district consideringthe serious law and order situation in Jhargram.

They stated that the social activists, taking informationfrom records, found that 49 FIRs involving over 500 murders,59 persons missing and several cases of gangrapes had beenlodged since September 2010.

The petitioners claimed that despite astonishing numbersinvolved, there have been no investigation into the cases.

It was claimed that most of these incidents occurredduring operations carried out by the local police with jointforces and cadres of a particular political party.

The petitioners prayed for a CBI probe claiming that withthe alleged involvement of state forces, it was not possibleto get an independent investigation by state agencies.

Advocate General Balai Roy submitted that the number ofalleged cases was high and sought three months to submit thereport.

But the bench declined to give so much time and directedthe state to furnish the status of each case that has beenfiled, as alleged in the PIL, by March 24.