West Bengal

A plea has been filed before the Supreme Court seeking directions to the West Bengal government to provide protection to opposition leaders in the state to ensure that a free and fair Assembly election is conducted in 2021.

The Bench of Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Arijit Banerjee was hearing a case of a missing girl. A report has been filed by the Inspector-in-Charge of Arambagh Police Station, dated December 10, 2020, but there is no indication therein as to the whereabouts of the missing girl.

The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday directed the West Bengal Director General of Police to initiate an inquiry against the investigating officer for attempting to harass a citizen by misusing Section 41A of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

The Supreme Court today rejected a plea challenging the Calcutta High Court’s order banning the use of firecrackers in West Bengal during the festival season.

The Calcutta High Court yesterday took suo motu cognisance of reports in some leading newspapers about the custodial death of a 15-year-old and directed the Birbhum police superintendent to file a report. The death happened in the Mallarpur area of the district.

The Calcutta High Court has issued a new order regarding firecrackers due to the Corona epidemic. Yesterday, the court banned fireworks in West Bengal for this Diwali. The court said in its order that selling and bursting of firecrackers in West Bengal will be prohibited this year.

Fugitive leader of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), Bimal Gurung, yesterday appeared in public for the first time in three years and announced his severing of ties with the BJP-led NDA and offered his full support to the Trinamool Congress.

The Calcutta High Court on Monday ordered that all Durga Puja pandals across the state be declared no-entry zones to prevent the spread of COVID-19. ... For small pandals, barricades will have to be put up five metres from the entrance

With the Mamata Banerjee government of West Bengal opening up the process of holding community Durga Pujas in the state as in earlier years, disregarding a possible wildfire spread of Covid infections, a PIL has been filed in the Calcutta High Court, asking for a stay on the decision of the government.

Amphan has already forced evacuation of around 4.5 lakh people, including 1.20 lakh people from Odisha and 3.30 lakh people. The Government along with the National Disaster Management Authority has been making preparations to deal with the cyclone.