HC tells cops to ensure safe return of poll violence victims as Didi argues PIL

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Thursday directed police to ensure the safe return of any citizen "irrespective of party affiliation" who had been illegally driven out of their home, shop or property in the wake of post-poll violence following the 2026 Bengal assembly elections. The direction came during the hearing of a PIL in which former CM Mamata Banerjee appeared as an advocate.The PIL was filed by advocate Sirsanya Bandopadhyay. This was the former CM's first appearance before the Calcutta HC. She was assisting senior advocate Kalyan Bandopadhyay.The division bench observed that police authorities "shall be lawful" to strictly maintain law and order. The question of maintainability was kept open, with the court indicating it would consider whether to refer the matter to a five-judge bench — as was done in the 2021 post-poll violence cases — after exchange of pleadings.Banerjee told the court: "Please see the images. Even children are not spared. Women are not spared, minorities are not spared. I am handing over a list of ten persons who have been murdered. One Scheduled Caste family, including a 92-year-old widow, was thrown out of their house. Out of 10 dead, six are Hindus. Please tell the police to behave properly. They are not allowing FIRs to be lodged. In my family, 12-year-old girls are being threatened with rape."When asked by the HC chief justice to stick to pleadings, she submitted: "We want immediate protection for the people. In front of police, they are capturing and looting houses and offices. This is not a bulldozer state."The four-fold relief sought by the petitioners included ensuring the peaceful return of displaced persons, registration of FIRs against accused, preservation of CCTV footage, restraint on bulldozer action and appointment of a retired judge to oversee the matter. The chief justice asked them to file an appropriate application.Deputy solicitor general Dhiraj Kumar Trivedi, appearing for the state, called the claims "ambiguous and bald," questioning the absence of specific dates, names and complainants. He submitted that since the govt had recently changed, specific instructions were yet to be received, but that FIRs were being lodged — including via email — wherever incidents occurred. Additional solicitor general Asok Kumar Chakrabarti, for the Centre, also questioned maintainability.The hearing was marked by sharp exchanges between the DSG and Kalyan Bandopadhyay, with the chief justice twice intervening to restore order — at one point remarking that "this quarrel is unknown to the court."