Central fact-finding team to visit Sandeshkhali on Sunday

Kolkata: A Central fact-finding committee on human rights violation headed by former Chief Justice of Patna High Court, Justice L. Narsimha Reddy (Retd), will visit the trouble ridden Sandeshkhali in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district on March 3.

The other members of the team include retired IPS officer Raj Pal Singh; advocate and former member of National Commission for Women, Charu Wali Khanna; advocate and former registrar of National Human Rights Commission, O.P. Vyas; senior journalist Sanjeev Nayak; and consultant to NFRC and NCPCR, Bhavna Bajaj, according to a press statement issued by the committee.

To recall, the fact-finding team had tried to reach Sandeshkhali on February 25, but were stopped midway by the state police citing prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC as the reason.

A suit was filed at the Calcutta High Court in the matter and on February 28, the single-judge bench of Justice Kaushik Chanda allowed the Central fact-finding team to visit Sandeshkhali.

According to the press statement issued by the committee, the team will visit three places in Sandeshkhali on Sunday — Majher Para, Natun Para and the Naskar Para Ras Temple.

“The committee members will interact with the victims of the gruesome incident. After the visit, a final report will be prepared by the committee which will be submitted to the Constitutional authorities of India,” the press statement read.