The Supreme Court will hear a plea seeking the transfer of the investigation and subsequent trial outside West Bengal in connection with the alleged sexual assault on women living in Sandeshkhali village. The plea, filed by Advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava, alleges inaction and complicity of the local police authorities and calls for a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the monitoring of the Supreme Court.
The petitioner argues that the incident is deeply disturbing and expresses reasonable apprehension that a free and fair investigation and trial cannot be conducted in the state of West Bengal. Therefore, the petitioner seeks the transfer of the case outside the state in the interest of justice.
The plea also seeks the formation of a committee of three retired judges of high courts, similar to the committee formed in the Manipur atrocity case. This committee would oversee the trial and investigation.
Advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava has also requested the court to issue directions for compensation to be granted to the victims under relevant victim compensation schemes. Additionally, the petitioner seeks the deployment of central paramilitary forces for the protection of witnesses and victims involved in the case.
The plea concludes by requesting that the trial, once the investigation is completed, be conducted in a Fast Track Court in Delhi in an expeditious and time-bound manner. The petitioner also calls for stringent disciplinary and penal action against the erring policemen involved in the case.
The Supreme Court bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and Augustine George Masih will hear the matter.
Source: Economic Times
