Trinamool Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Susmita Dev moved a petition in the Supreme Court against political violence on her party activists in Tripura and sought protection. She also sought an SIT probe headed by retired judge into the incidents. Dev’s lawyer Rajat Sehgal moved a writ petition before the Apex court on Friday. The list of respondents included the state government, DGP, eight district SPs of Tripura Police and DM West Tripura.
The petition sought issuance of a writ of mandamus or any other writ, order or direction to the respondent authorities to discharge their constitutional and statutory duty by ensuring the maintenance of security and safety in the areas where the elections are scheduled to be held in November, 2021, to provide security to the petitioners, to constitute a neutral and fair SIT, headed by a retired judge so that free and fair investigation could be carried out in relation to acts of vandalism and hooliganism targeted against the petitioners, to take immediate action on the complaints filed by persons who are victims of criminal assaults, intimidations and other criminal activity in the run up to the election process, and to restrain from using their power in an arbitrary and illegal manner so as to allow the petitioners to continue with the campaign in free and fair manner.
The petition highlighted the recent attacks on TMC workers and party vehicles; it also enclosed a list of cases lodged in various police stations of the case.
Meanwhile, the MP also wrote a letter to Governor of Tripura Satyadeo Narain Arya on Friday. A delegation of the TMC wanted to meet the Governor and submit a memorandum but it couldn’t be possible due to ill health of the Governor.
In her letter, Dev demanded some actions from the Governor’s office—to send a report to the central government about the current situation and propose action to restore peace, immediate arrests of the culprits involved in targeted violence, fixing accountability on the police and civil administration officials who failed to discharge their duties of protecting those under attack and providing adequate security to the TMC members for visiting areas affected by the recent violence.
Dev expressed serious concern over the prevailing situation and said the state needs immediate attention. She sought the Governor’s intervention to put an end to the breakdown of law and order.
