Calcutta High Court Refuses Urgent Listing Of Plea Seeking 'Protection' For Women In Violence-Affected Sandeshkhali

The Calcutta High Court on Monday refused urgent hearing for a plea seeking orders for the 'protection of women residents' of Sandeshkhali, West Bengal, amidst allegations of sexual violence faced by them from certain miscreants allegedly belonging to the ruling dispensation.

A division bench of Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya directed the counsel to file the matter in due course or attend the hearing before a single bench of Justice Kausik Chanda, which is seized of a plea on the alleged violence. The bench remarked:

"Who is the writ petitioner? Is he an advocate, a social worker, an MLA, a Pradhan, a resident of Sandeshkhali; has he visited the place? Have you filed the PIL with photocopies of the newspaper clippings? You have been practising in the HC for quite long now...the basic requirements of a PIL have to be satisfied. If you have any independent material, plead to be included [before the single bench.]"

The counsel contended that without protection for the women, the investigation could not be effectively carried out and stated that due to such technicalities, the women of the area were suffering. 

The Court refused urgent listing but allowed her to file the plea in due course.

Notably, the Supreme Court also turned down a plea for a CBI/SIT probe into the alleged violence and directed the petitioners to approach the High Court.