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Calcutta High Court on Friday appointed its former Chief Justice Manjula Chellur to monitor the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted for investigating the West Bengal Post Poll violence matter that had erupted in the State of West Bengal after the declaration of the 2021 assembly elections.

The Five-Judge Bench comprising Chief Justice (Acting) Justice Rajesh Bindal, Justice I. P. Mukerji, Justice Harish Tandon, Justice Soumen Sen, and Justice Subrata Talukdar amending the earlier order of 19 August directed that due to immediate non-availability of a retired Supreme Court Judge, the working of the SIT will now be monitored by the retired Chief Justice of a High Court.

The court stated that it had requested the retired former Chief Justice Manjula Chellur to take up the assignment and she accepted the same.

The court has also directed the State Government to pay Rs. 10 Lakhs to her for the assignment. The court said that It will be the duty of the Chief Secretary of the State of West Bengal to ensure that all arrangements for her travel and stay are made and protocol facilities are extended to her.

It is to be noted here that recently a mentioning was made by a group of advocates before the Acting Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal led Division Bench regarding the non-formation of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) for investigating the Post Poll violence matter as was earlier ordered by the court. The Bench had noted that it was aware of the issue and will take necessary steps in this regard.

On August 19, pronouncing the verdict in the matter, the Calcutta High had ordered an inquiry. It was directed that the CBI would investigate major incidents like those of murder or rape and the SIT would investigate less important incidents such as vandalism, arson, beatings and evictions.

The court has held that The SIT is to be constituted comprising of West Bengal IPS officers including Soumen Mitra and Ranbir Kumar. The team is to be headed by Suman Bala Sahu.

The court has also directed that The SIT would be supervised by a retired Supreme Court judge. Due to non-availability of such Apex-Court Judge, directions of Friday have been issued.

It is also to be mentioned here that the two investigating teams, CBI and SIT, have been ordered to submit their reports within 6 weeks.

The issue of post-poll violence dates back to the state polls of West Bengal which took place in April-May 2021. Countless incidents of violence, allegedly at behest of the Ruling party, the Mamata Banerjee led TMC have emerged earmarking retributive violence, aimed at opposition party workers and voters in the state.

The CBI has started the investigation, as per the court order. Investigators have visited many places and talked to the families of the victims and two people have been arrested.

(Case Title: A Batch of Pleas including Anindya Sundar Das v. Union of India )