Suravi Khatun Shaikh v. The West Bengal State Election Commission And ORS.

02.08.2023 d.p.

In The High Court At Calcutta Constitutional Writ Jurisdiction Appellate Side W.P.A 17378 of 2023 Suravi Khatun Shaikh -versus The West Bengal State Election Commission & Ors.

Mr. Habibur Rahaman, Mr. Archishman Singh.

...For the Petitioner.

Ms. Sonal Sinha, Mr. Tarun Kumar Chatterjee, Mr. Sujit Gupta, Mr. Sayan Datta, Mr. Soumen Chatterjee, Ms. Reshma Chatterjee.

...For the State Election Commission.

Mr. Biswabrata Basu Mallick, Mr. Sanjib Das.

...For the State.

Mr. Rajendra Banerjee, Mr. Somnath Bhattacharjee.

...For UOI.

The petitioner contested the Panchayat General Elections, 2023. She raises allegation with regard to the illegalities committed on the day of counting. Complaint was lodged before the Commission and the District Magistrate on 13th July, 2023. The same is yet to be disposed of.

Without going into the merits of the allegation made in the complaint filed by the petitioner, the instant writ petition is disposed of by directing the State Election Commission to consider and dispose the complaint filed by the petitioner at the earliest, but positively by 10th August, 2023.

A reasoned order shall be passed and communicated to the petitioners immediately thereafter.

The learned advocate for the petitioner is directed to forward a copy of the complaint dated 13th July, 2023 along with all supporting documents and evidences to the State Election Commission at the time of communicating the order of the Court.

The Panchayat Returning Officer is directed to properly preserve the CCTV/Video footages and the ballot papers and produce the same as and when called for.

Report filed by the Officer-in-Charge, Murutia Police Station on 25th July, 2023 is taken on record. The writ petition stands disposed of.

Urgent certified photocopy of this order, if applied for, be supplied to the parties expeditiously on compliance of usual legal formalities.

( Amrita Sinha, J.)