Calcutta HC orders NIA probe into Bengal Ram Navami violence
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Kolkata/New Delhi: The Calcutta High Court has directed the National Investigation Agency to probe the violence occurred during Ram Navami celebrations in West Bengal.
The court ordered the transfer of the case from the state police to NIA following a petition by BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, NDTV reported.
Ram Navami celebrations last month in the state witnessed widespread violence in districts including Hoogly.
The clashes broke out between two groups in Howrah saw miscreants targeting businesses and shops, ransacking them, and setting vehicles on fire, stone pelting, leaving the streets in chaos.
Police reportedly countered the violence with tear gas shells just a miscreants damaged a number of cars and at least a few police vehicles.
Now the court asked state police to hand over within two weeks all records and CCTV footage to the central government to initiate a probe by the NIA.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee however previously said that Ram Navami procession passed through an unauthorised route to what she claimed ‘particularly target and attack one community’.
The BJP countered her claim saying that is a lie, adding that there was permission till Howrah ground and which it said is the only route to the place.