West Bengal post poll violence: NHRC committee submits reports before Calcutta High Court

Kolkata: An NHRC committee investigating alleged post-poll violence in West Bengal on Tuesday submitted five sets of report in sealed covers before the Calcutta High Court, which ordered DNA matching of the body of a BJP labour wing leader for identification. A five-judge bench noted that the second post-mortem examination of the body of Abhijit Sarkar, the BJP labour wing leader, has been carried out at the Command Hospital as per its earlier direction and that the report was being prepared. Sarkar was allegedly killed in post-poll violence in Kolkata and his family had sought a second autopsy. The committee, constituted by the NHRC on the order of the high court to probe alleged human rights violations during post-poll violence, submitted five sets of report in separate sealed covers and was taken on record by the bench. The panel had earlier submitted an initial report before the court and had sought further time to submit a comprehensive report, which had been granted by the bench. Additional Solicitor General YJ Dastoor submitted on Tuesday that the brother of Sarkar expressed his inability to identify the body on account of its bad condition, following which the bench ordered a DNA matching with the sibling. It directed that samples for DNA analysis of his brother Biswajit Sarkar be taken at the Command hospital on 15 July. The five-judge bench, presided over by Acting Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal, adjourned hearing of the PILs alleging post-poll violence in West Bengal till 22 July.