Adhir Chowdhury moves Calcutta HC seeking compensation to poll violence affected people

Kolkata, July 10  State Congress president in West Bengal and five-time party Lok Sabha member Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Monday approached the Calcutta High Court with a plea for compensation to the victims of violence related to the panchayat polls in the state.

The poll- related violence has taken a toll of 39 lives since the polling dates were announced on June 8, with 20 being the victims of violence on the polling day of July 8.

In the petition filed at the division bench of Calcutta High Court's Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya, Chowdhury has appealed that besides compensating the families of the victims, those responsible for the bloodbath should also be identified and strong legal action be initiated against them.

The division bench of the Chief Justice has admitted the petition, though the date of the beginning of the full- fledged hearing is yet to be known.

The petitioner, Chowdhury has also alleged that the district administration, especially in the most violence- ridden Murshidabad district, did not display the minimum responsibility and humanity in arranging for the shifting of the injured persons to the hospitals.

In the petition, the Congress leader claimed that he was filing the plea on behalf of the family members of the dead as well as those who were injured in violence on the polling day.

On Monday, Chowdhury himself argued in front of the division bench instead of deputing a counsel on his behalf.

"Mainly the lower and middle class people were victims of the poll- related violence on Saturday. They didn't even know whom to approach for remedy. Many injured persons could not be taken to the hospitals. I have appeared here today on behalf of those families. My appeal to the court is that all of them should be provided with assistance and help," argued Chowdhury.

Meanwhile, the leader of the opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari has already demanded that the state government should provide compensation at the rate of Rs 50 lakh to the families of the dead and Rs 10 lakhs to the injured.