Calcutta High Court orders forensic audit of CCTV footage of Contai municipal poll

The court was hearing a PIL plea by BJP’s Soumendu Adhikari alleging violence, malpractices in the election

The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday directed forensic audit of CCTV cameras regarding recently concluded Contai municipality polls. The Central Forensic Science Laboratory ( CFSL), Delhi will conduct the forensic audit and will submit a report to the court in a sealed cover within six weeks.

 “Having regard to the above analysis, we are of the opinion that not only to ascertain the compliance of earlier orders of this court but in the larger public interest and to uphold democratic principles, it is necessary to get forensic audit of CCTV footage of Contai municipal election done,” a  Division Bench of Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Justice  Rajarshi Bharadwaj said in the order. The Bench also directed that the State Election Commission will send the CCTV footage of the Contai municipal election to Delhi in 10 days.

“While sending the CCTV footage as above, the State Election Commission will duly mark the concerned polling booth number to which each footage relates to; the CFSL will carry out the forensic audit of CCTV footage and ascertain if booth capturing, EVM tampering, forged voting ( chhapa voting), violence, etc. had taken place in the respective polling booth,” the order pointed out.

 The court was adjudicating a public interest litigation (PIL) petition filed by BJP leader Soumendu Adhikari who had alleged large-scale violence and electoral malpractices at the Contai municipal polls. Elections to the Contai Municipality took place on February 27 along with 108 civic bodies of the State. The Trinamool Congress won 102 civic bodies, including the Contai civic body located in Purba Medinipur district.

Mr. Soumendu Adhikari, former chairperson of the municipality is brother of Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari.  Speaking to journalists after the order, Mr. Suvendu Adhikari said the plea was filed by Mr. Soumendu Adhikari within 48 hours of the civic polls. “ I sincerely welcome the order issued by the Division Bench of Hon’ble Chief Justice; Calcutta High Court; Prakash Shrivastava & Hon’ble Justice  Rajarshi Bharadwaj in WPA(P) 91 of 2022; Soumendu Adhikari Vs. The State of West Bengal and Ors,” Mr. Adhikari tweeted.