NIA Files Preliminary Report On Beldanga Violence Before Calcutta High Court Division Bench
NIA submits preliminary report on Beldanga violence; Calcutta High Court schedules hearing after two weeks.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday submitted a preliminary report to the Calcutta High Court in connection with the Beldanga violence case, marking a key development in the ongoing judicial scrutiny of the incident. The report was placed before a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Partha Sarathi Sen, which is expected to examine the findings before proceeding further in the matter.
The High Court scheduled the next hearing of the case after two weeks, while making it clear that there is no legal barrier to the continuation of the NIA’s investigation into the Beldanga incident. The court’s observation ensures that the probe will proceed independently while judicial review of related petitions continues in parallel.
The case stems from unrest that erupted in Beldanga in Murshidabad district on January 16, following the mysterious death of migrant worker Alam Sheikh in neighbouring Jharkhand. Allegations of murder triggered protests, during which locals placed the body on a road and launched a blockade of a national highway and railway tracks, disrupting movement for nearly 30 hours.
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The situation escalated on January 17 when the protest turned violent, with reports of vandalism of railway property and attacks on journalists covering the incident. Following the unrest, the NIA was directed by the court to take over the investigation, citing the seriousness and scale of the violence and its wider implications.
In subsequent proceedings, around 15 accused persons arrested in the case were granted bail by an NIA special court in Kolkata. The NIA challenged this decision before the High Court, arguing that the circumstances of the case warranted continued custody. The matter has since become part of a broader legal review, including questions over the applicability of stringent provisions under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
During Tuesday’s hearing, Additional Solicitor General Ashok Chakraborty informed the bench that the state did not have legal representation present due to administrative changes following the recent political transition in West Bengal. The court noted the absence and deferred further hearings. The matter will now be taken up again after two weeks, with both the investigation report and related bail challenges expected to be examined together.
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