Calcutta HC Denies Urgent Hearing of PIL Seeking Protection for Women in Sandeshkhali

The Calcutta High Court declined an urgent hearing on Monday for a PIL requesting safeguarding measures for women residents of the Sandeshkhali area amidst allegations of sexual offenses by individuals affiliated with the ruling Trinamool Congress.

A bench of Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya inquired whether the petitioner held an elected position such as MLA or panchayat pradhan, resided in Sandeshkhali, or had visited the affected locale, emphasizing that merely annexing newspaper clippings wouldn’t suffice.

Stressing the necessity to fulfill fundamental PIL prerequisites, the Chief Justice instructed the petitioner’s counsel accordingly. Despite the lawyer’s plea for urgency in hearing the public interest litigation (PIL) aimed at safeguarding women in Sandeshkhali, the division bench stated its inability to entertain the petition promptly.

Citing a scheduled hearing before a single bench on a Sandeshkhali-related matter, the division bench clarified its inability to concurrently conduct proceedings.

Advising the lawyer to observe the proceedings before Justice Kaushik Chanda’s court, where a Sandeshkhali-related petition is listed, and to seek intervention if possessing independent evidence, the division bench provided guidance.

Certain villages in Sandeshkhali’s community development block II, situated in North 24 Parganas district, have been witnessing demonstrations concerning allegations of women’s sexual abuse by local TMC leaders and their associates, alongside accusations of land encroachment against villagers.