Kolkata, Jun 30 The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday directed the West Bengal government to have the police register FIRs in all instances of egg pelting at persons accused in different cases or political opponents.
Hearing a PIL seeking the court's directions to stop the menace of egg pelting at accused persons due to political opposition in different places of the state, a division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty and Justice Partha Sarathi Chatterjee verbally observed that an accused person's fundamental rights cannot be seized.
Pointing out that arrests in a few cases will not solve the problem, the court said it is a question of social awareness.
The division bench directed the state to have the police register FIRs in such instances of egg pelting.
The court also directed the state government to submit an affidavit before it on July 20 stating the steps it has taken and the number of FIRs the police registered in connection with egg pelting.
The division bench also asked the West Bengal government to prepare guidelines to stop the menace.
The Additional Advocate General stated before the court that the state government's position is that no one can take the law into their own hands.
He said that arrests have been made of some persons alleged to have pelted eggs at those accused of extortion and other crimes.
Senior advocate Kalyan Banerjee, appearing for the petitioners in the PIL, alleged that the government is allowing such incidents with the police parading the accused persons in different localities.
The court verbally observed during the hearing that when the state, through its police force, takes custody of a person, it is the state's duty to protect that person.
The bench verbally observed that an accused person's fundamental rights cannot be seized.
