Supreme Court Dismisses Plea for SIT Probe on Murshidabad Violence

The Supreme Court rejected a plea for a Special Investigation Team to investigate violent protests in West Bengal. The bench advised the petitioner to approach the High Court instead, highlighting that the issue pertains specifically to West Bengal and does not warrant intervention by the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court, on Tuesday, dismissed a Public Interest Litigation seeking the formation of a Special Investigation Team to probe violent protests in West Bengal's Murshidabad district following the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2025. A bench led by Justice Surya Kant advised the petitioner to consider the High Court as a more appropriate venue.

In its order, the bench expressed no inclination to entertain the petition under Article 32, pointing out that an alternative remedy exists under Article 226. Filed by Satish Kumar Agarwal, the plea criticized the state authorities' failure to protect residents.

Petitioner's counsel, advocate Barun Kumar Sinha, detailed the alleged police failures during the violence from April 8-12, 2025, impacting the Hindu community. Despite a National Human Rights Commission report outlining rights violations, the Court emphasized the necessity of approaching the Calcutta High Court.

The Court encouraged filing petitions online and hearings through video conferencing if the petitioner fears for safety. Criticizing the motives behind such petitions, the bench remarked that they seem intended to generate unnecessary drama.

(With inputs from agencies.)