Calcutta HC Lifts Section 144 at Sandeshkhali

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday quashed the Mamata Banerjee government’s enforcement of prohibitory orders under section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code at Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas of West Bengal in wake of a two-day violence last week. Justice Jay Sengupta of the HC, who set aside the restrictions imposed by the district administration, held that the way they were clamped was not right and directed that additional police forces should be deployed there.

The judge further observed that the sensitive areas should have been identified by the administration instead of promulgating Section 144 in the entire Sandeshkhali. He gave the ruling after hearing the plea of two residents of Sandeshkhali who sought for lifting the prohibitory orders in their area. Appearing for the petitioners, CPI(M) leader and lawyer Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharyya submitted that there was no ground of enforcing the prohibitory orders which was



promulgated to curb the rights of people of Sandeshkhali to protest.

The state government however opposed his arguments and pointed out that Section 144 was imposed to restore peace. Leader of the opposition Suvendu Adhikari and other BJP MLAs were stopped by the police on Monday from visiting Sandeshkhali due to the prohibitory orders while governor CV Ananda Bose took stock of the situation on the ground and met the women there around the same time. 

Section 144 was imposed with a ban on internet services since February 9 night after violence broke out in Sandeshkhali during heavy protests by angry villagers, mostly women, who came out with sticks, rods and sharp cutting weapons in large numbers revolting against atrocities by the ruling Trinamul Congress leaders on them. During the day the BJP leaders held protests at the office of SP(Basirhat) office.