The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday ordered the Kolkata Police to provide security coverage for a July 21 Martyrs’ Day rally organized by the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress faction after the group reported that its event infrastructure was vandalized.
Presiding over the matter, Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya instructed the Joint Commissioner of Police (Headquarters) to submit a formal status report on the incident by July 31, when the court is scheduled to resume proceedings.
Mandatory Clearance And Security Assistance
Under the court’s directions, the rally stage and all associated event materials must be dismantled and removed from the venue by 9 p.m. on Tuesday. Justice Bhattacharyya ordered law enforcement authorities to oversee the teardown process, providing security and operational assistance throughout the dismantling operations.
Midnight Appeal And Stage Damage Claims
The judicial directive followed an urgent midnight application submitted to Acting Chief Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty by legal representatives of the Mamata Banerjee-led faction. Presenting the matter before the court on Tuesday morning, advocate Arka Nag requested immediate judicial intervention and a modification of a previous order issued on July 15.
Nag stated that unidentified miscreants had damaged the rally stage and disconnected loudspeaker systems earlier Tuesday morning at the venue located in front of the Birla Planetarium.
Suppliers Subjected To Intimidation
The petitioner’s counsel further told the court that contractors and technicians supplying electrical items and stage materials had been subjected to threats. Nag noted that these intimidation attempts occurred despite the court’s July 15 order directing police authorities to deploy adequate personnel to preserve law and order at the site.
