Source: TW.
Intro
Just got off a call with @UnSubtleDesi. I couldn’t be happier for her and both of us couldn’t help but discuss the harrowing days of post poll violence in West Bengal in 2021. So I am going to share what happened five years ago just so ppl know what happened. #WestBengal2026.
After the results of the 2021 West Bengal elections were declared, news started pouring in about organised massacres of BJP cadre and Hindus who supported them or voted for them. This was not limited to anyone part of West Bengal. Horrendous videos were pouring via DMs on SM.
Room booking
The worst part was the organised & targeted sexual violence committed against Hindus,especially those who supported the BJP.Even the cadre & families of CPI(M) weren’t spared. Hotel rooms had been booked in certain districts for organised gangrapes in anticipation of victory.
Hostages
Even married Hindu women were picked up in places like Diamond Harbour and their husbands were asked to cough up INR 25000 to secure the release of their wives, failing which they would continue to be “used” by TMC cadre. I personally spoke with some of the affected families.
The affected families, including the cadre, were desperate for judicial intervention and reached out to my office through whoever they could find. Petitions were filed before the Supreme Court through AoRs but unfortunately they weren’t getting listed.
In the meantime, @UnSubtleDesi called me one night and was uncontrollably in tears. She told me through her tears that a bunch of Hindu girls were hiding in a Temple to avoid being gangraped, and were in desperate need of help but didn’t know who to trust.
Gangrape threats
The story of one girl in particular, which @UnSubtleDesi narrated to me, was blood curdling. The girl was first gangraped in front of her parents . Despite this, she gathered the courage to write to the NCW about the brutality she had been subjected to.
When the TMC cadre came to know of this, she was once again gangraped in front of her family to coerce her into taking her complaint back. But the Braveheart refused to comply. This was not a one off. @UnSubtleDesi asked me if we could find some way to help them.
I tried calling as many people as I could to try and draw attention to their plight, and seek concrete help. A few days later, a Kolkata-based NGO which was helping victims of sexual violence reached out and asked to be represented in the Calcutta High Court.
High court
A Petition was filed through the counsel on record @sportslawyerIND before the Calcutta High Court on behalf of such victims of sexual violence. By this time, multiple petitions by others,including the CPI(M), had been filed representing victims of the post poll violence.
Considering the number of petitions filed and the seriousness of the situation, the then Chief Justice of the Calcutta HC constituted a 5-member Bench to hear the Petitions. By this time, around 80000 people had fled to Assam which the Gauhati High Court had to take note of.
Shri @JethmalaniM appeared for some of the victims & I appeared for some. My primary goal, which @sportslawyerIND & I discussed, was to push for an SIT to investigate into the post poll violence & specifically get the category of gender-based violence included in it.
Considering the brazen denial by the TMC Govt of occurrence of any kind of sexual violence, we were particular about getting it included. And the Calcutta High Court did include it as part of its directions in the matter. Here’s the link to the order- https://indiankanoon.org/doc/174361218/
Ms. @impriyankabjp was brilliant in drawing attention to the issue in Court. This was one of those rare instances where even the CPI(M) supported our contentions considering its cadre too had been attacked. Do go through the order to see who said what. @JethmalaniM @sportslawyerIND @impriyankabjp
Before I forget, apart from @sportslawyerIND, I had the support of courageous & young counsels on record from Calcutta like Rishav Kumar Singh & Priyanka Agrawal who stood their ground and assisted me despite grave peril to themselves while I appeared virtually from Delhi.
I would remiss if I didn’t highlight the contributions of Senior Advocate Shri @JethmalaniM and good friend Advocate Ravi Sharma who stood by @UnSubtleDesi and other victims of the post poll violence.
So when you celebrate the victory in Bengal, think of and thank all those victims of brutality who paid the price for their religious and political beliefs literally with blood, sweat and tears. Never again should this happen anywhere in Bharat.
Judgement
The judgement of the Calcutta High Court was challenged in the Supreme Court, and the challenge remains pending. Jai Ma. Jai Shri Ram. Vande Mataram7943611773072