Supreme Court Mandates Independent Review of Beldanga Violence Investigation

The Supreme Court has advised the Calcutta High Court to determine if further investigation by the NIA into the Beldanga violence is warranted under the UAPA. Without ruling on merits, the Court asked for an NIA report to aid its decision on whether the acts posed threats to economic security.

The Supreme Court, in a pivotal decision on Wednesday, urged the Calcutta High Court to independently assess the necessity of a deeper investigation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the January 16-17 violence at Beldanga, West Bengal. The court deliberated whether the events met the criteria for invoking the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), especially focusing on provisions relating to threats to economic security.

Led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, the Bench, including Justice Joymalya Bagchi, resolved the West Bengal government's appeal against the High Court's prior order, which kept the option open for central forces deployment and NIA involvement. Emphasizing a thorough review, the Supreme Court instructed the NIA to submit a confidential report to the High Court, leaving the determination of a prima facie UAPA case to its discretion.

Justice Bagchi raised critical questions about the application of UAPA Section 15, noting that the violence appeared reactionary to a migrant worker's death rather than an orchestrated economic threat. The Court admonished the NIA's inaction regarding previous incidents and clarified that the High Court should scrutinize all documentation before any UAPA application to prevent premature action. Additional contentions regarding central intervention have been referred back to the High Court for further examination.

(With inputs from agencies.)