The Calcutta High Court here on Thursday granted bail to three supporters of the Students' Federation of India — the student organisation of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) — who were accused of assaulting the principal of a college at Majdia in West Bengal's Nadia district.
Significantly the State government's counsel did not oppose the bail prayer, contrary to what had been the case on earlier occasions when hearing was taken up at a Nadia district court.
Welcoming the ruling, Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly Surya Kanta Mishra said that the State's decision not to oppose the bail prayer in the High Court was to save itself from further criticism on the issue.
Bailable offences
Charging the three students under a non-bailable section of the Indian Penal Code for the attack on the college principal when those belonging to the Trinamool Congress were charged with bailable offences in two similar incidents in other colleges within a week of each other had raised questions over the administration's impartiality.
But the decision not to oppose the bail prayer, though welcome, was not indicative of any change in the vindictive attitude of the government, Dr. Mishra said, adding
Party hegemony
that the government's agenda of establishing a party hegemony continues to be in evidence.
The students who were granted bail were arrested on January 7 for allegedly attacking the principal of Sudhir Ranjan Lahiri College at Majdia. They were subsequently remanded in judicial custody by a district court.
