The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed the West Bengal government’s plea against the Calcutta High Court order transferring the probe in violence arising during the Ram Navami processions to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

A bench led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra said they are not “inclined to entertain the Special Leave Petition (SLP)”.

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In April 2023, the Calcutta High Court had directed an NIA probe into violence that broke out during Ram Navami processions in several areas of the State in March.

Earlier, HC had ordered that all FIRs, documents, CCTV footage and seized material be handed over to the NIA within two weeks of the order.

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The PIL was filed by BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari and Priyanka Tibrewal. Suvendu Adhikari, the state’s Leader of the Opposition, alleged that several bombs were used in the violence, leaving many injured, including police personnel.

Meanwhile, the TMC-ruled state government had called Adhikari’s pleas “politically motivated”, mentioning that no use of explosives were reported in the incidents of violence. 

In an order passed on April 27, the Calcutta High Court bench observed that there had been a deliberate attempt on the part of the police not to register any offence under the provisions of the Explosives Substances Act in the Ram Navami violence.