Bengal Police report suggests Ram Navami violence was pre-planned: Calcutta HC

A West Bengal Police report on clashes around Ram Navami in the state prima facie suggested that the violence was pre-planned, the Calcutta high court said on Monday, adding that a central agency might be better suited to probe the events that have ratcheted up communal tensions and stoked a political row.

The high court’s comments came on a petition by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for a federal probe into the violence that roiled three districts and left several people injured. A two-judge bench of the court, comprising acting chief justice TS Sivagnanam and justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya, reserved its order on the plea.

“The Howrah Police commissioner has filed a 54-page report, including annexures… Your (state’s) reports prima facie show these (violence) were all pre-planned. There are allegations of stones being hurled from rooftops. Obviously it is not possible for anyone to take stones up to the rooftop within 10 to 15 minutes,” the bench told senior advocate general SN Mookherjee who opposed the plea on the grounds that the state police were already probing the case.

“The report proceeds on the line that the clash took place between two groups. There can be a third person who wants to take advantage of the situation. If that group is involved, then it requires investigation by a central agency. That is very difficult for the state police to find. Somebody would have set the fire, had set the ball rolling. Without a probe by a central agency, you can’t identify that outside source,” the bench added.

Both the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and BJP have accused one another of triggering the riots in Hooghly, Howrah and Uttar Dinajpur districts. Police have arrested 36 people so far in Howrah alone.

On March 31, leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari filed a plea in the high court, demanding a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

The high court noted that swords, bottles, broken glasses and acid were used in the violence and internet services were restricted. “This shows that it was large scale violence,” the bench said.

“Internet suspension usually takes place when there has been an external danger or infiltration etc. But for a religious procession, we don’t understand why (internet was suspended),” it added.

The court also took into account previous incidents of violence in the state during festivals and its subsequent intervention.

“Within four to five months, eight orders have been issued related to religious processions. In 14 years, I have not seen so many orders in quick succession. Does it not reflect something?” the bench, adding that none of the court orders had any effect on the riots that took place subsequently.

Mookherjee told the court that the state police was conducting a proper probe into the matter. He said that the participants of the Ram Navami procession were armed with lathis and swords that they were not permitted to carry. He also pointed out that members of the other community were also armed with weapons.

“As far as there are allegations with regards to acts of bombing, etc and that some houses were set on fire as alleged by petitioner... (they) are totally baseless. Our report specifically deals with the allegations of bombs being used in the violence,” he said.

During the hearing, Adhikari’s counsel said: “Earlier during Laxmi Puja in October 2022, violence broke out in a similar manner in Ekbalpore-Mominpur area in Kolkata. The police remained silent.”

Violence broke out in Bengal’s Howrah district on March 30 during a Ram Navami procession as stones were allegedly pelted at the rally, injuring 10 people. Over the next three days, violence spilled to the North Dinajpur and Hooghly districts, where eight people were injured. The high court and the Union home ministry sought reports from the state authorities.

The development brought back memories of post-poll violence that roiled the state in the aftermath of the 2021 assembly elections. At the time, the BJP accused the ruling TMC of attacking people who had voted for the opposition, a charge refuted by the ruling party. The clashes claimed at least 14 lives, prompting the Calcutta high court to order and monitor a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

Chief minister Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP of hiring goons from outside to trigger riots in the state , but the the BJP alleged Banerjee was the main culprit and had instructed local Trinamool Congress leaders to trigger riots.

On Monday too, Banerjee blamed the BJP for the violence. “BJP workers were dancing with firearms. They went with bulldozers and tractors. Would someone tell me why firearms were taken to a religious procession? Outsiders were brought in from Munger (Bihar). There were so many firearms that had the police not acted tactfully, many would have been shot,” she said.

A resident of Munger was among those arrested by Howrah police after photographs of him carrying a firearm surfaced.

Hitting back, senior BJP leader Rahul Sinha said: “She (Banerjee) triggered the violence and police allowed it to spread and ensured it was a one-sided attack. That’s why she is very happy with the police. We are demanding a central probe. That would bring out the truth.”