Calcutta High Court Denies PIL’s Urgent Hearing To Protect Sandeshkhali Women

The Calcutta High Court declined to expedite a PIL concerning the safeguarding of women residents in the Sandeshkhali area amid accusations of sexual misconduct by individuals affiliated with the ruling Trinamool Congress.

Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam, leading a division bench, questioned the petitioner’s credentials, seeking clarification on whether they held an elected position or had direct involvement in the affected community.

Emphasizing the necessity to meet the fundamental criteria for a PIL, the Chief Justice remarked that merely citing newspaper clippings wouldn’t suffice. Despite the petitioner’s plea for urgency, the bench, including Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya, verbally conveyed its inability to prioritize the matter separately, citing an ongoing case before Justice Kaushik Chanda.

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The bench advised the petitioner to observe proceedings in Chanda’s court and, if possessing independent evidence, seek intervention therein.

Recent unrest in Sandeshkhali’s villages, involving protests against alleged sexual abuse by local TMC figures and encroachment on villagers’ land, has drawn attention to the region.