Family Appeals to Supreme Court Over Bail in West Bengal Post-Poll Violence Case
The family of a victim of West Bengal’s 2021 post-poll violence has appealed to the Supreme Court, challenging a Calcutta High Court order that granted bail to two accused individuals, Rahul Dey and Saurav, on August 5, 2024.
The petition, filed through advocate Shoumendu Mukherji by the deceased’s brother and mother, alleges that the family was the first to be targeted in the orchestrated violence perpetrated by a mob backed by the then-ruling political establishment. The petition recounts the brutal murder of the family’s brother, who was dragged out of his house, strangled with a CCTV camera wire, and beaten to death with bricks and sticks in front of his mother.
Both accused absconded for many months after the incidents and were apprehended on February 14, 2022, nearly a year from the incident date after a tip-off. The petition said the findings of the High Court were erroneous.
“Throughout the trial, the present Petitioners have been threatened, intimidated, assaulted, and physically molested by the relatives of the respondents while the Respondents themselves were in custody,” the petition said.
“On account of the impugned (HC) order, the threat to the Petitioners’ lives has risen manifold. There is a likelihood that the attacks will continue with impunity. It is a settled position of law that when there is a high possibility of threat to the victims, it is a just ground for cancellation of bail. Moreover, the essential facts were not even brought to the High Court’s knowledge by the Respondent No. 1 agency despite the same being in its knowledge,” the petition said.
The matter was listed before a bench led by Justice Sanjeev Khanna, which listed it for hearing on September 20 along with other petitions relating to post-poll violence.
Doubts Revealed
Supreme Court -: The Supreme Court is the highest court in India. It makes the final decisions on important legal matters.
Bail -: Bail is when someone who has been arrested is allowed to go home until their trial, usually after paying some money as a promise to return.
West Bengal -: West Bengal is a state in eastern India. It has a lot of history and is known for its culture and festivals.
Post-Poll Violence -: Post-poll violence means fighting and trouble that happens after elections. People sometimes get very angry about the results.
Calcutta High Court -: The Calcutta High Court is a big court in Kolkata, West Bengal. It handles important legal cases in the state.
Rahul Dey and Saurav -: Rahul Dey and Saurav are the names of the two people who were given bail by the Calcutta High Court. They are accused in the violence case.
Petition -: A petition is a formal request made to a court asking for a specific action or decision.
Political Establishment -: Political establishment refers to the group of people who are in power or control the government at a certain time.
Erroneous -: Erroneous means something that is wrong or incorrect.
