Waqf protest violence: Calcutta HC orders central force deployment in Murshidabad, seeks reports from Centre, state

The Calcutta High Court on April 12 ordered the deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district, taking serious note of ongoing violence allegedly tied to protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act. The court emphasised the need to ensure peace and safeguard citizens in the affected areas.

A division bench led by Justice Soumen Sen directed the central forces to work in coordination with the state administration to help restore normalcy. The order followed reports of clashes in Suti, Dhuliyan, and Samserganj, where at least three people were killed and over 100 arrested.

The court also sought detailed status reports from both the state government and the Centre, with the matter set for a follow-up hearing on April 17.

The hearing was convened on a court holiday by a special bench comprising Justices Soumen Sen and Raja Basu Chowdhury. The bench was constituted after a petition filed by Suvendu Adhikari, Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, sought immediate deployment of central forces in Murshidabad.

During the hearing, the state informed the court that seven companies of the Border Security Force (BSF) had been deployed in the worst-hit areas. However, Adhikari’s counsel alleged that the BSF was not being used effectively to bring the situation under control.

Meanwhile, fresh violence erupted on April 12 in Dhulian, under the Samserganj block, where one person sustained a bullet injury, according to police. ADG (Law and Order) Jawed Shamim said the details of the incident were still being verified.  

The district, which shares a border with Bangladesh, had already seen large-scale violence a day earlier during demonstrations linked to the Waqf Act amendment.