In a landmark judicial move, the Calcutta High Court has taken cognisance of the disturbing reports emerging from Sandeshkhali, North 24 Parganas district, regarding alleged incidents of sexual assault, land grabbing, and violence.
During the proceedings, the division bench, headed by Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam, expressed grave concern over the allegations, emphasising that even if a fraction of the accusations were proven true, it would be a shameful indictment of the state's commitment to women's safety.
"If at least one per cent (of the allegations) is true, it is highly shameful," a division bench presided by Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam said.
Maintaining that it is shameful if even one of the affidavits is correct, the Chief Justice said, "The entire district administration and the ruling dispensation have to owe moral responsibility, 100 per cent responsibility."
He said that West Bengal boasts of a statistics report to be the safest state for women.
"As per the NCRB (National Crime Records Bureau) report, West Bengal stands number one for safety of women; and if one affidavit filed by Tibrewal is proved to be right, the statistics falls, the public image falls, the opinion falls," he said.
"If it falls and crumbles, you cannot resurrect it," he said.
The court said that the world does not become dark if one closes his or her eyes.
The petitioner, lawyer Priyanka Tibrewal, presented compelling evidence before the court, including numerous affidavits alleging sexual assault and other atrocities.
Tibrewal's diligence in compiling these testimonies underscores the importance of legal advocacy in bringing forth issues of public interest and social justice.
In response to calls for a transfer of investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the state's Advocate General Kishore Dutta raised questions about the efficacy of central agencies and urged for an examination of their conviction rates.
However, the Deputy Solicitor General representing the Enforcement Directorate countered by highlighting the state's lack of cooperation, hindering the progress of investigations.
On the other hand, the involvement of central agencies, such as the Enforcement Directorate (ED), underlines the complexity of the case and the need for a thorough and impartial investigation.
While the state advocates for local police intervention, concerns over bias and non-cooperation have cast doubt on the effectiveness of such measures.
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