Basirhat situation normal: West Bengal government

Kolkata: The West Bengal government on Friday filed a report before the Calcutta High Court stating that the situation in communal strife-hit Basirhat was under control and that a strong presence of force was being maintained to ensure normalcy.

The state government filed an affidavit before a division bench of acting Chief Justice Nishita Mhatre and Justice T Chakraborty stating that a strong police force supervised by senior officers was posted at Basirhat sub-division in North 24-Parganas district.

At least 1,162 state police personnel, including RAF and four companies of Central Armed Police Force (CAPF), were deployed in the sub-division, which was hit by communal clashes in the first week of July.

So far 86 cases were registered and 71 persons arrested in connection with the clashes, said the affidavit, signed by the deputy secretary, Home and Hill affairs of the state government.

The affidavit was filed by the West Bengal Government on a direction by the division bench detailing steps it has taken to control the situation in riot-affected Basirhat sub-division where Baduria was the most affected.

The direction to the state government came on a petition seeking that the state compensate the victims of communal clashes.

The matter will be taken up for further hearing after two weeks, the bench directed.