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The Calcutta High Court has stepped in to ensure a peaceful Saraswati Puja celebration at Jogesh Chandra Law College here. The court directed the police to provide security for the event, following complaints from the students that outsiders had taken control of their preparations.
Justice Joy Sengupta instructed that a Joint Commissioner-level officer monitor the situation to maintain law and order. "This is an application, inter alia, praying for a direction upon the state and the College authorities to provide adequate security and protection in Jogesh Chandra Chaudhuri College and Jogesh Chandra Chaudhuri Law College situated at Prince Anwar Shah Road, Kolkata, and to ensure that no outsider forcefully enters the college campus and hamper the free ingress and egress to the Saraswati Pujas that are to take place there," the Calcutta HC said. The court's order aims to prevent any breach of peace and ensure that the students can carry out their Saraswati Puja celebrations without undue interference from outsiders. The next hearing in the case is scheduled for February 5 at 2 pm. The court also ordered a Joint Commissioner-level officer to oversee security arrangements, and armed police to be deployed in front of the college to ensure safety and security. "The police under the supervision of any officer of the rank of Joint Commissioner of Police, Kolkata, as nominated by the Commissioner of Police, Kolkata would ensure that no breach of peace takes place at the venue and in the vicinity. They shall post armed police in adequate numbers in front of the college to ensure the safety and security of the students, the teachers and the passers-by," the court said. The court mandated that separate pujas be held for the Day College and Law College departments and the entire event be filmed, and instructed the Charu Market Police Station to dismantle an illegal puja pandal set up inside the Day College premises by noon and document the process. "Appropriate directions may be passed to the college authorities and the state so that the students of both the colleges can carry out their respective Saraswati Pujas without undue interference by outsiders," the Calcutta HC said. "It appears that there is a structure built by someone who is not owning it up. Both the college authorities disown the structure. It purportedly prevents the ingress and egress to the other side. Therefore, let the said structure be removed by the police authorities. Let the Inspector/Officer-in-Charge of Charu Market remove the said structure by noon tomorrow i.e., February 1, 2025," the Calcutta HC said. "The present students of the two colleges as nominated/designated by their respective Principals would be in charge of holding their respective Saraswati Pujas. For the demolition of the structure which is blocking the ingress and egress, necessary videography has to be done by the local police authorities while the performance of Pujas will be videographed by the respective College authorities," the court added. The police were ordered to prevent individuals with pending complaints from entering the college premises, permitting only students from the two departments to participate. (ANI)
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