HC refuses to take up PIL regarding Sandeshkhali for urgent hearing

A division bench presided by Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam asked whether the petitioner is an elected representative like an MLA or a panchayat pradhan or a resident of Sandeshkhali or whether the person visited the affected place, saying that only attaching copies of newspaper reports with the petition will not be enough.

PTI, Kolkata, Feb 19, 2024 :  The Calcutta High Court on Monday refused to take up for urgent hearing a PIL seeking protection to women residents of Sandeshkhali area over allegations of sexual atrocities on them by people owing allegiance to ruling Trinamool Congress.

A division bench presided by Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam asked whether the petitioner is an elected representative like an MLA or a panchayat pradhan or a resident of Sandeshkhali or whether the person visited the affected place, saying that only attaching copies of newspaper reports with the petition will not be enough.

The Chief Justice told the lawyer petitioner that the basic requirements of a PIL have to be satisfied for it to be taken up.

The petitioner lawyer prayed for an urgent hearing of her public interest litigation (PIL) seeking protection to the women villagers of Sandeshkhali in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district.

The division bench, also comprising Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya, told the lawyer verbally that it cannot take up the petition for an urgent hearing.

The division bench said that since a single bench was already scheduled to hear a matter over Sandeshkhali, it cannot do parallel proceedings.

It asked the lawyer to watch the proceedings before the court of Justice Kaushik Chanda, before whom a petition regarding Sandeshkhali is listed for hearing, and if she has any independent material, to request intervention in that proceeding.

Some villages in Sandeshkhali community development block II in North 24 Parganas district have been witnessing protests over allegations of sexual abuse of women by some local TMC leaders and their associates and also land grabbing from villagers.