Calcutta HC rejects bail plea of 13 accused in post-poll violence case

Kolkata: A single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court on Monday rejected the bail plea of 13 persons accused in the violence that took place in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district after the 2021 Assembly polls.

Justice Debangsu Basak said that since the CBI is interrogating the matter, the granting of bail to the 13 accused might influence the proceedings of the probe.

Justice Basak also observed that there is no proof yet that the accused were not involved in the crime.

Earlier a lower court had allowed bail for the 13 accused.

However, the CBI challenged the decision at the bench of Justice Basak, which after a detailed hearing the matter came to a decision that under no circumstances the 13 accused can be released on bail.

Distinct pockets in West Bengal were rocked by violence from the day results were announced in May last year where Trinamool Congress bagged a landslide victory.

Court cases were filed by the BJP and different individuals at the Calcutta High Court demanding a CBI enquiry in different post- poll violence cases in West Bengal, which involved charges like murder and rape.

Teams of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) were also sent to West Bengal last year to review the complaints.