Calcutta HC orders deployment of Central forces in clash-hit Murshidabad

PTI, KOLKATA, APRIL 12, 2025 :  Stating that it cannot keep its eyes closed when such situations arise, the Calcutta High Court on Saturday ordered the deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district, which has been hit by violence allegedly linked to ongoing protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act.

The High Court said citizens must be provided with adequate security and protection to ensure peace and order in the region. A division bench, presided over by Justice Soumen Sen, ordered the deployment of CAPF in the affected areas of Murshidabad to assist in restoring normalcy. The Central forces will operate in coordination with the state administration.

The court also instructed both the state government and the Centre to submit detailed reports on the situation. The matter is scheduled for further hearing on April 17.

A special bench comprising Justices Soumen Sen and Raja Basu Chowdhury was constituted by the Chief Justice to urgently hear a petition filed by Suvendu Adhikari, Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, seeking the deployment of Central forces in the district.

Seven companies of the BSF have been deployed in the strife-hit Suti, Dhuliyan, and Samserganj areas of Murshidabad, the state lawyer told the court. Adhikari's lawyer, however, alleged that the BSF personnel were not being deployed properly to control the situation.

The bench heard the petition on a court holiday on Saturday, considering the urgency of the situation.