'Never Seen Such A Polarised State' : Supreme Court On West Bengal After Attack On Judges In SIR Duties

West Bengal is the most politically polarised State, said the Supreme Court in exasperation, following the unfortunate gherao and attack on judicial officers performing Special Intensive Revision(SIR) duties in a village in Malda district yesterday.

The Supreme Court orally said that in the State, "everyone speaks in political language".  The Court said that deployment of judicial officers would be welcomed by all, since they are neutral agents; but even they are spared from attacks, the Court added in disappointment.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Vipul Pancholi urgently took up the West Bengal SIR matters today morning - though the case was otherwise not listed today - following a letter from the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court regarding the incidents of yesterday.

As per the letter, seven judicial officers, including three women, where gheraoed by villagers in a village in Malda District, while they were performing SIR adjudication duties. They were held hostages from 3.30 PM till 12 PM midnight, and were released only after the High Court Chief Justice appealed to the State administration for urgent action. The State administration was tardy in its response. When the judicial officers were evacuated at midnight, their vehicles were subjected to stone-pelting and attacks using bamboo sticks.

The Court, after recording its extreme disappointment with the State officials (Chief Secretary, Home Secretary, DGP, SSP and District Collector), directed the Election Commission of India to requisition central forces to ensure the safety of judicial officers.

After the order was dictated, Kishore Datta, Advocate General of West Bengal, submitted that the ECI should not act like an adversary.

In response, CJI Surya Kant said :

"Mr Adv General, now you are compelling us. Unfortunately, in your state, each one of you speak political language. That is the most unfortunate thing. We have never seen such a polarized state. That even in compliance of court orders, politics is reflected. It's only because all the parties were happy, we thought we were creating a neutral kind of structure (by calling for assistance of judicial officers)...so that none of you have (issues)...and this is what is [happening]...Do you think we are not aware who are the miscreants? Atleast I was monitoring everything till 2 AM! Very unfortunate."

Earlier during the hearing, Senior Advocate Menaka Guruswamy, for the petitioners, submitted that the gherao of judicial officers happened during an "apolitical protest."

The Chief Justice then said : "If the protest was apolitical, then what were the political leaders doing? Was it not their duty to get at the spot and see what's happening? That somebody's trying to take law and order in their hands? 5 o clock these people gheraoed the officers. Till 11, your Collector was not there."

Previously, the Chief Justice had commented that the SIR process went smoothly in all other States except West Bengal.