Kolkata Apr 19 PTI The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday directed the West Bengal government to produce before it progress reports and case diaries of five recent cases of rape gang rape and attempts to rape in different parts of the state The court also asked the government to provide security to the complainants and their familiesSeeking investigation by an independent agency or a court-monitored probe petitioners in a PIL claimed that a tribal girl was gangraped at Shantiniketan in Birbhum district on April 15 while a woman was raped at Namkhana in South 24 Parganas districtThe PIL also said that a physically challenged woman was allegedly raped at Pingla in Paschim Medinipur district and another woman went through the ordeal at Netra in South 24 ParganasThe petitioners flagged another incident of attempted rape at Maynaguri in Jalpaiguri district in which the woman attempted suicide after being apparently threatened by the perpetratorA division bench comprising Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Justice R Bharadwaj after hearing the parties directed that progress reports of investigation and diaries of all five cases be produced before it by April 22 when the matter will be heard againThe state governments lawyer submitted that action has been taken by the local police in all five cases and that arrests have been recently made taking note of complaints at Namkhana Santiniketan and NetraHe further submitted that a prayer has been made by the prosecution before the appropriate court in Jalpaiguri seeking cancellation of the bail of the accused in the Maynaguri incident which was recorded in late FebruaryThe lawyer added that police protection has been provided to the complainants PTI AMR RMS RMS

Kolkata Mar 31 PTI The Calcutta High Court on Thursday directed the West Bengal government to submit a progress report of the investigation into a case of gangrape of a minor girl whose internal organs were allegedly damaged by the perpetratorsA division bench headed by Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava directed the state to also produce a report on the medical condition of the victim who was subjected to the assault on March 23 at Matia in North 24 Parganas districtHaving regard to the seriousness of the matter we direct the learned Advocate General to produce the report in the form of affidavit about the stage and status of the investigation along with the case diary the bench also comprising Justice R Bharadwaj directedThe court during the day heard separate petitions moved in connection with two incidents of rape of minor girls one at Matia in North 24 Parganas and another at English Bazar in Malda district seeking direction for probe by an impartial investigating agencyIt was submitted by the counsel for the petitioner in the Matia gangrape incident that the minors private parts were damaged and intestine rupturedDirecting the state to provide all possible medical facilities and treatment to the victim the court ordered that her parents may be permitted to visit the victim on medical adviceNoting the states submission that a medical board has been constituted the bench directed that it should comprise senior experts of the hospital and if the need so arises the head of the hospital may include specialists from other hospitals too The bench directed that the reports be submitted on or before the next date of hearing on April 4 The court also took note of another incident of rape in English Bazar police station area in which it was alleged that a neighbour had perpetrated the act after tying the girls hands and feet and pointing a firearm at herClaiming that incidents of sexual assault on minors were increasing in West Bengal the petitioner in the second case stated that lack of street lights in village roads were adding to safety concerns for womenAdvocate General S N Mookherjee appearing for the state submitted that the Matia case investigation was being done properly and the medical condition of the girl has now improved PTI AMR RMS RMS

Kolkata Feb 21 PTI The Calcutta High Court on Monday took suo motu cognisance of the alleged murder of student leader Anis Khan and directed the state to make submissions on the matter on February 24 The matter was mentioned by a lawyer expressing extreme urgency and a prayer was made before the court for initiating a suo motu petition Justice Rajasekhar Mantha directed the registry to number the prayer as a suo motu petition and asked the state to make submissions on the matter on February 24 Alleging that Khan a social activist has been murdered senior advocate Bikash Bhattacharya and lawyer Koustav Bagchi submitted that he had publicly raised his voice against donations allegedly being demanded by educational institutions and the poor condition of certain hospitals in Uluberia in Howrah district They submitted before the court that on February 19 civic volunteerspersonnel of the Amta police went to the residence of Khan for interrogation in connection with a case and after meeting his father on the ground floor went up to the third floor on the pretext of speaking to his son Khan was beaten up by the police murdered and thrown over from the said higher floor the lawyers alleged before the court It was further submitted that the authorities with a view to placating the situation have offered a job to the deceased Anis Khans brother and apprehension was expressed that the investigation may be frustrated and compromised since allegations are primarily against the members of the ruling dispensation The incident has led to widespread protests and opposition parties have demanded an investigation by an independent agency Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday ordered formation of a special investigation team into the death asserting that the government will hold an impartial probe Soon after state DGP Manoj Malaviya announced the formation of the SIT headed by Additional Director General of Police CID Gyanwant Singh Alleging that four people had come to their house on the night of February 18 donning police and civic volunteer uniform and pushed his son off the third floor of their house at Amta in Howrah district leading to his death the father of the deceased has demanded a CBI investigation into the matter The police however said no law enforcer had gone to his house at that time Khan who had been with the SFI in the past and a prominent face in the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act CAA protests at Park Circus Maidan in Kolkata in late 2019 and 2020 later joined the Indian Secular Front PTI AMR NN NN

Kolkata Oct 25 PTI The Calcutta High Court on Monday directed that the West Bengal health secretary will meet agitating students of R G Kar Medical College and Hospital on October 29 to discuss their issues and expressed hope that the functioning of the medical facility will remain normal A vacation bench hearing a PIL that sought the courts intervention in ensuring normalcy at the state-run hospital in the city clarified that the right to protest peacefully by the agitating students is not curtailed by the order Several interns and students are on a hunger strike at the hospital demanding the removal of the principal over a range of issues Appearing for the state Advocate General S N Mookherjee submitted that there are issues with regard to ingress and egress of the medical staff and the public at the hospital He stated the agitation is being carried on in such a manner that it impedes the medical facilities at the hospital and is affecting the public interest The lawyer appearing for the students submitted that representatives of his client may be allowed to meet the state health secretary to discuss their issues A division bench comprising justices Debangsu Basak and Rabindranath Samanta directed that the state health secretary will meet representatives of the agitating students not exceeding six in number on October 29 We hope and trust that the respondent no 8 the agitating students will not take any measure so as to disrupt the medical facilities at the RG Kar Medical College and Hospital and maintain the sanctity of the silent zone at the hospital and the medical college the bench said in its order The court directed that the matter will be taken up for hearing again on November 2 PTI AMR BDC BDC