"Local Police was completely inactive and absent, local councillor involved": Calcutta High Court committee report on Murshidabad violence

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], May 21 (ANI): The fact finding committee set up by Calcutta High Court submitted its report on the Violence that occured in West Bengal's Murshidabad, highlighting that as many as 113 houses were affected badly, in the village of Betbona.
It stated that majority of residences had taken the shelter in Malda but all of them have been forced to return by the police administration in Betbona village.
The report said, "Attacks were directed by a local councilor, "adding that Local Police was completely "inactive and absent".
The report further said that the people want a permanent BSF camps and Central Armed Forces for their own protection.
"The West Bengal Police did not respond. The villager of Betbona called at 4p.m. on Friday and 4p.m on Saturday but police did not pick up the call," the reports added.
"A man came back to the village and saw which houses were not attacked and then the miscreants came and set fire to those house," the report further added.
"Villagers are constantly being threatened by the miscreants, wondering how long the BSF will protect them," a person said as cited by the fact finding committee.
The reports also said that the miscreants' cut-off the water connection so that the fire cannot be extinguished with water.
"The miscreants have burnt all the clothes in the house with the kerosene oil and the women of the house had no clothes to cover her body," it added.
The report also highlighted that Grocery stores, hardware shops and electrical and textile clothing stores have been destroyed and essential documents have been destroyed in Dhuliyan area.
According to the report, the "main attack" took place after 2:30 pm on April 11 in Dhuliyan town. It said that a shopping mall located in ward no. 12 has been completely looted and closed.
Referring to the murder of Haragovinda Das (74) and his son Chandan Das (40), the report states, "They broke down the main door of the house and took her son (Chandan Das) and took her husband [Haragovinda Das] and hit them with an axe in the back. A man was waiting there until they died."
The committee -- comprising Joginder Singh, Registrar (Law), National Human Rights Commission; Satya Arnab Ghosal, Member Secretary, West Bengal Legal Services Authority; and Saugata Chakraborty, Registrar, West Bengal Judicial Service were the members of the fact finding committee set up by Calcutta High Court. (ANI)