A Calcutta High Court judge on Friday asked a CBI lawyer in open court if
the central forces accompanying the Enforcement Directorate officials who were assaulted at Sandeshkhali did not have guns and bullets and asked why the jawans did not use them to launch a “counter-offensive (palta akraman)”.
“The officials were accompanied by central forces. Were the jawans not in possession of guns and bullets? When they were being attacked, why did they not launch a counter-offensive?” Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay said.
The CBI’s lawyer, Billwadal Bhattacharya, was in Justice Gangopadhyay’s court in connection with a case. “I heard your officers were attacked,” the judge told Bhattacharya on his own.
“Not our officers, my lord. They are ED officials,” Bhattacharya replied.
It was then that the judge made the observations.
“The Bengal governor should declare that the federal structure of the state has completely broken down,” Justice Gangopadhyay said.
“Jungle Raj is prevailing in the state,” he said.
Earlier in the day, when Justice Gangopadhyay was hearing a corruption case
related to school recruitments, a lawyer informed the judge about the incident that took place at Sandeshkhali in North-24 Parganas, where ED officials who had gone there to raid a Trinamul leader’s home were assaulted, allegedly by supporters of the leader.
Justice Gangopadhyay wanted to know how many persons were injured in the incident and enquired about their health.