HC asks Bengal govt whether Centre was informed about blasts during Ekbalpur clashes

The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday morning directed the West Bengal government to inform it by 2 pm whether the mandatory provision of communicating to the Centre about bomb explosions during the clashes in Ekbalpur was followed.

Taking up two petitions seeking NIA investigation into the communal clashes, the court said that a mandatory report to the Centre under section 6 of the NIA Act is required for it to decide whether a probe by the central agency is required.

A division bench presided by Justice Joymalya Bagchi directed the state government to inform it by 2 pm on whether the mandatory provision was complied with.

Advocate TM Siddiqui, representing the state government, told the court that five FIRs have been filed in connection with the clashes at Mayurbhanj in Ekbalpur area of southwest Kolkata on Sunday, and submitted a report on the incident.