Apex court says High Court & lower court can grant bail

MP, 10 Aug 2024, Kolkata: The Supreme Court of India on Friday is learnt to have directed that the Calcutta High Court and lower court can grant bail to the accused persons in the post-poll violence case. 

It was learnt that the CBI had earlier appealed to the apex court for transferring these cases outside the state. Several of the victims had also appealed for the same, it was learnt. The apex court had asked for the submission of affidavits from all parties. 

The counsel of one of the accused who is behind bars since 2021 submitted in apex court that no trial is taking place.Since the matter is pending in Supreme Court the lower court is also not granting bail. After this appeal, the apex court is learnt to have directed that the high court and lower court can give bail in accordance with law. 

Following the 2021 state Assembly elections, there were several incidents of “political violence”. Observing “definite and proved allegations” that complaints by the victims of violence following the West Bengal Assembly elections were “not registered”, the Calcutta High Court had on August 19, 2021, ordered the CBI investigation into alleged incidents of murder, rape and attempt to rape, as flagged by a committee whose members were nominated by the chairperson of the the National Human Rights Commission.
Appearing for the West Bengal government, senior advocate Kapil Sibal had earlier said the state had challenged the National Human Rights Commission’s (NHRC’s) report on the basis of which the CBI investigation was ordered. 

“We have challenged the report since it is biased. Therefore, this matter has to be dealt with,” Sibal said.