HC order to ensure vote of jailed rural leader

 Justice Amrita Sinha had earlier fixed September 27 for the formation of the sthayee samitis for the Raninagar 2 gram panchayat samiti

Tapas Ghosh, TT, Calcutta, 20.09.23 : Calcutta High Court on Tuesday directed police to make necessary arrangements so that the Congress sabhapati of Raninagar 2 panchayat samity in Murshidabad, Kuddus Ali, could come from jail and cast his vote for the formation of sthayee samitis (permanent committees) on September 27.

Justice Amrita Sinha had earlier fixed September 27 for the formation of the sthayee samitis for the Raninagar 2 gram panchayat samiti.

The judge also restrained the police from taking coercive measures against six elected Congress and CPM members of the 42-member Raninagar-2 panchayat samiti till September 28. The order was issued to ensure that the Congress and CPM members could take part in the vote for the formation of the sthayee samitis.

Ali had been arrested following a clash with police on September 8 and the six elected Opposition members have been absconding ever since false cases were lodged against them, said a Congress leader.

The order followed a petition by Congress leaders who accused the ruling Trinamul Congress of trying to use coercive measures to snatch the samiti from the Congress by using political and administrative power.

The Congress also told the court that Trinamul members, with the help of police, had been trying to form the Sthayee Samitis forcefully by implicating elected Congress and CPM members in false cases.

The petitioners also claimed that in the Raninagar-2 panchayat samiti, Congress and CPM had the majority even though a few opposition members had been forced to join the Trinamul Congress.

The judge fixed September 29 for hearing the case.