While post-poll violence continues in West Bengal, a voter has approached the Calcutta High Court seeking compensation for poll-related violence from the Election Commission of India. Hearing the petition, the Calcutta High Court on Friday ordered police protection for the complainant until further orders.
The house of Buddhadeb Ghosh, a local Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader in the city’s Jadavpur area under Patuli police station, was attacked on May 1, a day after the area went to the polls. Mr Ghosh’s 75-year-old-mother, Mayarani Ghosh, who was in the house when the incident occurred, had filed a writ petition before the High Court seeking compensation from the Election Commission.
During the hearing Justice Dipankar Datta also expressed concern about on what would happen to such families when the results are declared on May 19.
Speaking to The Hindu , Buddhadeb Ghosh said that since it is the Election Commission that urges voters to freely exercise their franchise, vote without fear or favour.
Police protection sought
“Now that my house has been attacked, why should I not approach the Election Commission for compensation?” Mr Ghosh said. In the petition, his mother has asked that adequate police protection be provided to the family.
Ms Ghosh’s counsel Jayanta Narayan Chatterjee said that during the proceedings in the Court, the officer-in-charge of Patuli Police Station and counsels on behalf of the Election Commission tried to submit that the administration has done all it could.
Mr Chatterjee said that as per The Representation of People Act, 1951, after the announcement of polls till the results are declared, the responsibility for law and order rests with the Election Commission.
According to the complainant, he had called the officer-in-charge of the local police station before the violence and sent text messages to him but the police did not respond in time. The details of the phone calls and the text messages were produced before the Court during the hearing.
Though the polls in West Bengal, held with massive deployment of security forces, have been largely peaceful, there have been reports of violence which has continued after the elections. At least three supporters of the CPI(M) were killed in poll-related violence. Workers and supporters of Opposition parties have been targeted since the elections.
With the case being admitted and heard in the court, Akranto Aamraa, a forum of human rights victims, appealed to the Election Commission to compensate all victims of poll violence in the State.
