<div align="justify">The Calcutta High Court today asked the Centre to convey its position on whether it was considering a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into the recent communal strife at Baduria in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district.<br /><br />On a plea seeking an NIA investigation into the clashes, a division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Nishita Mhatre and Justice T Chakraborty asked the lawyer for the central government about his stand.<br /><br />Appearing for the Centre, Additional Solicitor General Kaushik Chanda submitted that he will take instructions in this regard from the government.<br /><br />Chanda was asked by the bench to convey the Centre's position on the plea on July 21 when PILs with regard to the clashes will be heard again.<br /><br />The bench also directed the West Bengal government to submit an affidavit stating the steps it has taken to control and normalise the situation in riot-affected Baduria on July 21.<br /><br />The direction to the state government was made on another petition seeking a direction to the state to compensate victims in last week's communal clashes.<br /><br />State Advocate General Kishore Dutta submitted that 32 cases have been registered and 66 arrests made in connection with the clashes.<br /><br />He told the court that the situation has normalised at Baduria and adjoining areas in Basirhat sub-division, which is situated close to the Bangladesh border. </div>
<div align="justify">The Calcutta High Court today asked the Centre to convey its position on whether it was considering a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into the recent communal strife at Baduria in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district.<br /><br />On a plea seeking an NIA investigation into the clashes, a division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Nishita Mhatre and Justice T Chakraborty asked the lawyer for the central government about his stand.<br /><br />Appearing for the Centre, Additional Solicitor General Kaushik Chanda submitted that he will take instructions in this regard from the government.<br /><br />Chanda was asked by the bench to convey the Centre's position on the plea on July 21 when PILs with regard to the clashes will be heard again.<br /><br />The bench also directed the West Bengal government to submit an affidavit stating the steps it has taken to control and normalise the situation in riot-affected Baduria on July 21.<br /><br />The direction to the state government was made on another petition seeking a direction to the state to compensate victims in last week's communal clashes.<br /><br />State Advocate General Kishore Dutta submitted that 32 cases have been registered and 66 arrests made in connection with the clashes.<br /><br />He told the court that the situation has normalised at Baduria and adjoining areas in Basirhat sub-division, which is situated close to the Bangladesh border. </div>