The Calcutta High Court has refused to interfere with the ongoing investigation into the violence and disorder reported during an event linked to football icon Lionel Messi in Kolkata, allowing the West Bengal Special Investigation Team (SIT) and a state-appointed inquiry commission to continue their work.
A Division Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Partha Sarathi Sen held that there was no sufficient ground at this stage to justify court intervention or to transfer the probe to a central agency. The Bench noted that both the criminal investigation and the administrative inquiry are still underway and have not shown any apparent irregularity warranting judicial interference.
The petitions before the Court had sought a CBI investigation, citing alleged mismanagement, crowd control failures, and misuse of state machinery during the event, which reportedly saw chaos and injuries. Concerns were also raised about ticket pricing, security arrangements, and alleged preferential treatment to certain individuals.
Petitioners argued that the state-constituted SIT and inquiry panel lacked independence, as the officials under scrutiny belonged to the same administrative setup. They further questioned the legitimacy of the inquiry commission.
Rejecting these submissions, the High Court observed that investigation is primarily the domain of the police, and courts should refrain from transferring probes unless there is clear material indicating bias, mala fides, or serious procedural lapses. The Bench also noted that the inquiry commission had been constituted through a valid government notification and was legally empowered to proceed.
The Court declined to grant interim relief and directed the West Bengal government and event organisers to file their affidavits within a stipulated period. The matter has been listed for further consideration on a later date.
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