SLSA Seeks Report from Home Secy on Allegations of Police Highhandedness During Coronavirus Lockdown

Kolkata: The State Legal Services Authority (SLSA) has called for a report from West Bengal Home secretary and the Kolkata Police Commissioner on an allegation of highhandedness by law enforcers with regard to imposition of lockdown over the coronavirus spread, an official said here on Wednesday.

Calcutta High Court judge Justice Dipankar Dutta, in his capacity as the executive chairman of SLSA, has asked the authorities to submit the report by Thursday.

A lawyer had written to the Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court Justice T B N Radhakrishnan, in which allegations were made about police highhandedness over enforcing of social distancing and other guidelines during the lockdown that commenced in the state along with other parts of the country last week.

The chief justice forwarded the letter to SLSA executive chairman Justice Dutta, the official said.

Justice Dutta then directed the state Home secretary to submit a report on the overall state of affairs over the imposition of lockdown in the state, while asking the city police commissioner to give a report on Kolkata.

Though people have been asked by the government to go out only for buying essentials and medicines and in some emergency, there have been reports of violation of these orders by some people, including that of maintaining social distancing norms.

Police and other authorities in the state have been making appeals to the people to stay at home, unless there is any urgent need, to stop the spread of the contagious virus.