The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday directed the West Bengal government to submit a report on clashes between two groups at Beldanga in Murshidabad district on November 16 within a day.

The court also directed the state to ensure that persons claimed to have been dislodged from their residences owing to the clashes are reinstated in their respective homes and adequate police personnel should be deployed there for their safety and security.

A division bench presided by Justice Harish Tandon directed the state's advocate general to submit the report through a responsible high-ranking official on the eruption of the clashes between two groups and measures taken for ensuring the safety and security of the inhabitants of Murshidabad district, more particularly in Beldanga area.

The court also directed the state to provide details of measures taken to combat the incident and the names of the persons who have been apprehended in connection with the incident by Wednesday in its report.

The bench, also comprising Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya, directed the state administration to provide all medical assistance to the injured in the respective hospitals where they have been admitted till they recover.

Stating that group clashes had erupted at Beldanga in Murshidabad district on November 16, two petitioners moved two separate PILs praying for a report to be called for from the state government and deployment of central forces in Beldanga as well as in the entire district of Murshidabad.

The petitioners, citing media reports, claimed that several persons were injured in the group clashes and that houses were set ablaze.

The court said that from the said reports, it appears that huge police contingents and rapid action force (RAF) have been deployed in the affected areas and several persons have been detained.

The petitioners claimed that several people in the area have claimed that they were not able to reside at their homes out of fear.

They further alleged that action taken by the police authorities was "lopsided" and the real culprits were not acted against.

Advocate General Kishore Dutta, representing the state, submitted that immediately after the clashes, large number of police personnel were deployed and there are no further reports of any incident in the area.

Additional Solicitor General Asok Kumar Chakrabarti, appearing for the central government, submitted that in the event the court directs deployment of central forces, it will be complied with.

The bench observed that the safety and security of the citizenry is a primary duty of the state administration and "such conduct should not only be impartial and fair but seem to be so without any discrimination nor should permeate any sense of such discrimination".

Maintaining that the sense of insecurity or the perception of threat to their life at their residence cannot be accepted and it is the duty of the police administration to ensure eradication of such sense amongst the people of the locality.

Noting that several persons are reported to have been missing or left their residence out of fear of threat to their life, the court said, "the police administration should ensure that they are brought to their respective homes by providing adequate safety measures and also deploying adequate personnel at the locality for their safety and security".

The bench directed Koustav Bagchi, one of the petitioners and a practising lawyer at the high court, to disclose the names of persons reportedly missing to the Advocate General, who will ensure that they are reinstated at their homes.

The bench directed the police administration to take adequate measures to avoid recurrence of any such events, which it said "would disturb the very fabric of the constitutional ethos, more particularly, secular appearing in the Preamble to the Constitution of India".

Noting that the AG stated that police personnel are keeping vigilance in the locality and regular march is undertaken as confidence-building measures, the court directed the state administration to continue such march until peace in the locality is restored.

The court said that after the report is filed by the police administration, the prayer for deployment of central forces will be considered.

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