The high court on Monday expressed its displeasure over the detention of four men in Howrah on the eve of the August 27 march to Nabanna, called by an organisation named Paschimbanga Chhatra Samaj.

The four were released from Belur police station on August 27 after the march to Nabanna was over.

Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj of the high court directed the police to show documents by 10.30am on Tuesday to prove that it was necessary to detain the youths for 24
hours.

“Let the state show the documents. Then the court will take a decision on the matter tomorrow,” Justice Bharadwaj said on Monday.

A petition was moved on Monday on behalf of the four youths seeking the court’s intervention in the alleged “illegal detention”.

Appearing for the petitioners, advocate Rajdeep Majumdar submitted that the four were picked up from their homes on August 26 afternoon.

“On August 27, they were released from Belur police station around 4pm. The police failed to show a valid ground for keeping them behind bars for 24 hours,” Majumdar said.

Appearing for the state, a lawyer said: “The police have enough documents to prove that those youths had chalked a plan to incite violence during the Nabanna march on August 27.”

Justice Bharadwaj said: “If the police had such documents, why were they released the next day? Why were they not produced in court?”

The state’s counsel said the police want to file an affidavit stating their stand on the detention.

“No need to file an affidavit. Please show the documents to the court. The matter will be at the top of Tuesday’s list. The court will hear the case first tomorrow,” Justice
Bharadwaj said.