Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], July 2 (ANI): Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Kalyan Banerjee on Thursday welcomed the Calcutta High Court's observations on protecting the dignity and fundamental rights of accused persons, saying that public parading, egg attacks and other forms of humiliation violate the rule of law and constitutional guarantees.
In a post on X, Banerjee said the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed before the Calcutta High Court challenged practices that subjected accused persons to public humiliation and degrading treatment.
"Through a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), we approached the Hon'ble Calcutta High Court to highlight the violation of the fundamental rights of accused persons. In our petition, we submitted that forcing accused individuals to walk through public streets wearing only their undergarments and vests, compelling them to perform humiliating acts such as holding their ears and doing squats, pelting eggs at opposition leaders and supporters, and carrying out demolitions with bulldozers without following the due process of law are all contrary to the rule of law and the fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution of India," Banerjee said.
According to Banerjee, the court also directed the West Bengal government to frame and circulate guidelines to all police stations to prevent incidents such as egg attacks on accused persons, public disorder, mob violence and mob lynching, while ensuring their effective implementation.
"The Hon'ble Court further directed the State to frame and circulate appropriate guidelines to all police stations across West Bengal to prevent incidents such as egg-throwing at accused persons, public disorder, mob violence, and mob lynching, and to ensure their effective implementation," he said.
He said, "Recognizing the seriousness of these issues, the Hon'ble Court took cognizance of the matter and observed that the protection of human dignity is an inseparable part of our constitutional culture. The positive guarantees embodied in Articles 14, 19, and 21 of the Constitution become meaningful only when we acknowledge that subjecting any individual to inhuman or degrading treatment is arbitrary, unjust, and unconstitutional. The State bears a constitutional obligation to protect every accused person from brutality, humiliation, and inhuman treatment. Under no circumstances can private citizens be permitted to take the law into their own hands."
The PIL follows a series of incidents in recent months, including viral videos that showed accused persons being paraded through the streets in their undergarments in Howrah district. Police had maintained that one of the accused was taken through the area to help investigators verify structural evidence and reconstruct the alleged crime.
The issue also gained political attention after TMC youth leader Soumitra Banerjee was pelted with eggs while being taken to court on June 16. Days later, senior TMC leader Kunal Ghosh was also targeted with eggs outside Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's residence, prompting him to file a complaint with the Kolkata Police and allege that BJP-linked miscreants were behind the attack. (ANI)
