The Supreme Court has refused to interfere in the NIA investigation into the violence that took place in Beldanga in Murshidabad district in West Bengal. The Supreme Court has sent the state government’s petition against the NIA investigation to the Calcutta High Court. The Supreme Court has said that after looking at all the facts the High Court should take a decision on the matter.
The case started due to the death of a migrant laborer
Alauddin Shaikh, resident of Beldanga, died on January 16 in Daltonganj, Jharkhand. People became furious after the body of Alauddin, who was living as a migrant laborer in Daltonganj, reached Beldanga. He alleged that Alauddin was murdered after declaring him to be a Bangladeshi. The protesters blocked National Highway 12 for several hours. Large scale disturbance also took place in Murshidabad.
High Court gave order for security
Two petitions were filed in the Kolkata High Court against the violence in Murshidabad. One of these petitions was from state opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari. In the petitions, this violence was described as a planned attempt to cause economic loss to the country. On January 20, the Division Bench of the High Court said that the state government should consider demanding central security forces. The bench also said that the central government should look at the state report and decide whether there is a need to conduct an investigation by a central agency like NIA.
NIA investigation ordered
On January 28, the Union Home Ministry issued an order to hand over the investigation to the NIA. NIA started investigation under sections of Unlawful Activities Prohibition Act. The state government had approached the Supreme Court against this, saying that there was no need for a central investigating agency in this case. By handing over the investigation to the central agency, the jurisdiction of the state government is being interfered with.
NIA’s argument
The matter was posted for hearing before the bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi. Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for the Central Government, said that Murshidabad is an area bordering Bangladesh. Many suspicious activities have come to the notice of the agency there. ASG Raju said that the state government is not cooperating in the investigation.
What did the court say?
During the hearing, Justice Bagchi, a member of the bench, said, ‘In this case, it needs to be seen whether it was really an organized attempt to cause economic loss to the country or it was just violence carried out by people driven by emotions.’ The judges said that the High Court should take a decision on the propriety of handing over the investigation to the NIA. The case is pending in the division bench headed by the Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court. The West Bengal government should keep its objections there.
