Panchayat Polls: Calcutta HC asks SEC to deploy over 82,000 central forces personnel

The court directed that the number of companies to be requisitioned has to be more than that for the 2013 elections.

The West Bengal State Election Commission has, once again, been ordered to requisition and deploy central forces for the state’s rural polls by the Calcutta High Court. The Court, this time, has offered a 24-hour window to the commission for compliance.

The commission and state government had moved to the Supreme Court against the high court’s earlier two orders. The last order on June 15 had directed the commission to deploy central forces in all the districts of the state for the rural polls within 48 hours of the order. The pleas, however, were dismissed by the top court.

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A division bench of Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam, and Justice Uday Kumar, heard contempt application filed by BJP-Bengal leader Suvendu Adhikari (and another).

The Court also took note of the commission’s requisitioning of 22 companies of the forces, one company for each district. The Court, considering this inadequate, ordered that the number of companies to be requisitioned shall not be less than the forces requisitioned for the 2013 panchayat elections, and has to be definitely more than the same, given the increased number of districts and the electorate in ten years. The Court warned that any attempt made to make the order unworkable may result in adverse consequences.

Court orders CBI probe

In another case, petitioners alleged that the panchayat returning officer tampered with the filed documents when nomination papers were submitted. It was pointed out that similar incidents have taken place on other occasions too, and an enquiry be made by an independent authority.

The commission’s advocate stated that the petitioners’ allegation needs to be enquired before a decision could be taken in the matter.

The Court observed that as the allegation of tampering is against an officer who is responsible for conducting a free and fair election, the enquiry needs to be done by an independent authority. Justice Amrita Sinha, directed the CBI to conduct the investigation by July 5, and place a report before the court on July 7.

Congress candidates to file forms with police protection

In yet another case, the petitioners submitted that they were restrained and prevented from filing Form B – where political parties’ symbols are allotted, and were assaulted and beaten up, severely. The case was represented by a state Congress spokesperson (and others).

Justice Sinha directed the Commission to take steps and ensure that Congress candidates are permitted to file Form B with protection from Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and in the absence of CRPF, the same be done with protection of SP-Murshidabad.