Prabir Ghosh v. State Of West Bengal And ORS.
16.10.2023 sayandeep Sl. No. 15 Ct. No. 14 WPA 24954 of 2023 Prabir Ghosh -versus- The State of West Bengal & Ors.
Mr. A. Biswas Mr. J. Roy Mukherjee Mr. A. Singh Mr. d. Karan Mr. J. Agarwal Mr. S. Mukherjee ...... for the petitioner Ms. Sonel Sinha Mr. Avishek Prasad ......for the State Affidavit-of-service filed on behalf of the petitioner is taken on record.
Report filed on behalf of the State is also taken on record.
Learned counsel appearing for the petitioner submits as follows. The petitioner was a contesting candidate in the Panchayat Elections, 2018 belonging to an opposition political party. This was his undoing. After the elections he was subjected to unbearable atrocities. First, he had to incur financial loss. The hooligans belonging to the ruling political dispensation came and cut down all the bamboo trees from the petitioners' land. An FIR was lodged, but under lesser charges. Only after intervention of this Court on
02.05.2022 in WPA 2995 of 2022, more serious charges were imputed. However, by that time the accused had obtained bail. Thereafter, the said miscreants had been threatening, intimidating and even assaulting the petitioner. On the last occasion with the butt of a fire arm, the petitioner was assaulted on his face. He lost quite a few teeth in the process. In spite of the accused carrying on a fire arm, again relevant charges were not imputed in the FIR. This soft peddling by the police authorities have encouraged the miscreants to inflict more atrocities on the petitioner. Even the children of the petitioner are fearful of coming out of their house. Learned counsel appearing for the State relies on the report submits as follows. All the complaints made by the petitioner have been acted upon by the police. It is a different thing that the petitioner may not be satisfied with the imputation of charges in all cases. The accused were granted bail by the learned Trial Court. However, the police are keeping a close watch on the developments in the locality.
If purported action taken by the police cannot prevent the miscreants from inflicting more atrocities on the petitioner, then there is obviously a need for providing police protection to the petitioner.
In view of the above, let the officer-in-charge, Chapra Police Station provide a police picket in front of the house of the present petitioner. The picket shall consist of two police personnel, one of whom should be armed. The police picket shall be posted with immediate effect and shall continue at least for three months from this date.
Even otherwise, the police shall keep a sharp vigil at the locale and ensure that no breach of peace takes place.
The investigation including on the offences alleged by the petitioner in the cases filed by him shall be conducted expeditiously and in accordance with law. With these observations, the writ petition is disposed of.
Urgent certified photocopy of this order, if applied for, be supplied to the parties expeditiously on compliance of usual legal formalities.
(Jay Sengupta, J.)