Former Judges, Diplomats Write To President Over Bengal Poll Violence

Nearly 150 people, including retired judges, diplomats, bureaucrats, police officials and veterans, have submitted this memorandum to the president on Monday.

Blaming "state terror" for political violence in West Bengal, a group of citizens has written to President Ram Nath Kovind and called for a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe monitored by a retired Supreme Court judge for a fair investigation and speedy justice. Referring to the "targeted political killings" and violence after the West Bengal assembly elections and "deficient and inappropriate" response of the local administration and police, they demanded that these cases be handed over to the NIA to deal with the "anti-national" onslaught on the culture and integrity of the country as it is a border state. Nearly 150 people, including retired judges, diplomats, bureaucrats, police officials and veterans, have submitted this memorandum to the president on Monday. The memorandum said, "We are greatly disturbed by the mindless instigation of reported violence in electoral vengeance against the people who exercised their democratic right to vote for one political party or the other.