Kolkata, Apr 20 (IANS): A division bench of the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday directed the West Bengal government to provide compensation to the family of Avijit Sarkar, a BJP worker who was killed Kolkata's Kankurgachi area in the post-poll violence witnessed in the state after the Assembly elections in 2021.
The high court bench comprising Chief Justice Prakash Srivastava and Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj directed Chief Secretary H.K. Dwivedi to take necessary steps on this count.
The bench also ordered that the compensation amount be delivered within two months from the day of the issuance of the order.
Admitting that as many as 303 people had to leave their homes due to the post-poll violence, the bench also ordered the formation of a three-member committee to ensure that these people return to their homes safely.
As per the division bench order, one member of the said committee will be a representative from the National Human Rights Commission, one from West Bengal Human Rights Commission and the third from the state legal service authority.
According to Priyanka Tibrewal, the counsel for the petitioners, on March 14, 2022, the Calcutta HC had directed the state DGP to ensure the safe return of 303 victims to their respective homes.
"However, since the state police did not take any measure or initiative on this court, the court on Wednesday ordered the creation of a three-member committee for the same purpose," Tibrewal said.
Meanwhile, the CBI team probing the post-poll violence submitted another progress report, the fifth on this count, to the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday.
In the report, the CBI maintained that it is conducting probe in 35 cases, out of which chargesheets have been filed in 31 cases.