Dikhyaa Mohanty 
As per a fact-finding report of the civil society group Call for Justice headed by former Chief Justice of Sikkim High Court Justice (Retd) Permod Kohli, it is revealed that there are about 15,000 incidents of post-poll violence in West Bengal in which 25 people were killed and 7,000 women were molested.
According to the reports, the post-poll analysis was submitted on 29 June to the Centre which assured that it would take action in the matter. While Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy referred to the report and stated that the magnitude and reach of the post-poll violence touched many villages and towns all across West Bengal simultaneously beginning the night of May 2 when the results of the assembly elections were declared.
The report stated that the report is a clear indication that most of the incidents are not sporadic but premeditated, organised and conspiratorial. Due to the post-poll violence, many people have left their homes in West Bengal and had taken shelter in Assam, Jharkhand and Odisha. Even some of the hardened criminals, mafia dons and criminal gangs who were already in police records allegedly “led and carried the deadly attacks unhindered, (which) reveals that there is clear political patronage even before the elections and same being used to silence the political rivals.
The houses of some people were completely burned and destroyed and they were not even allowed to work, the report stated. The connecting bridge to a village that voted for a particular party was demolished. Their water connection has been snatched, claimed the report.
The report claimed the incidents of targeted destruction and vandalisation of properties, residential and commercial, have the sole purpose to deprive people of their livelihood and choke them economically.
The civil society group informed that the report was prepared after the five-member team visited Bengal and met a cross-section of people there. Citing the report, the junior home minister informed that around 16 districts of the state were affected by the post-poll violence.
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