WB post-poll violence: 'Police stood idly, people were left to die'

The West Bengal government on Tuesday told the Supreme Court three persons have been arrested in a case related to the killings of two BJP workers in the post-poll violence, after lodging an FIR on a complaint by the victims' families.

Responding to a plea for a CBI probe into the matter, senior advocate Sidharth Luthra, appearing for the West Bengal government, submitted before a bench of Justices Vineet Saran and B R Gavai that the matter was already under the investigation of the state police.

He also pointed out that a five-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court decided to take up all cases related to post-poll violence.

The court, however, granted the state government time to file a reply to a petition filed by Biswajit Sarkar, the brother of slain Bengal BJP worker Abhijit Sarkar.

On May 18, the court had issued notice to the West Bengal government on the plea for CBI probe into the killings of two BJP workers in the post-poll violence, witnessed after the ruling TMC secured a third consecutive victory in the Assembly elections.

Read | Bengal post-poll violence: SC sends notice to state govt on plea for CBI probe into killing of BJP workers

Senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani, appearing for the petitioner, contended that violence was unleashed at the behest of state administration, as not only was there total inaction but the police stood idly and the people were left to die.

The plea alleged "indiscriminate" killing of innocents across the state "in a coordinated manner" after the Assembly polls results.

It sought a direction for an SIT probe as it was "impossible" to conduct a fair and impartial enquiry into murder of Sarkar and a Bengal BJP booth worker, Haran Adhikari.

The petitioners, who claimed to be eye-witnesses to the killing of Sarkar on May 2 in North Kolkata, alleged that the mob dragged him out of his house, tied the CCTV camera wire around his neck, smashed his head and brutally killed him in front of his mother.