Shagun Hall

From J Sai Deepak - Just got off a call with Nupur Sharma. I couldn’t be happier for her, and both of us found ourselves revisiting the harrowing days of post-poll violence in West Bengal in 2021. I’m sharing this so people understand what really happened.

After the 2021 West Bengal election results were declared, reports began pouring in about organized killings of BJP workers and Hindus who supported or voted for them. This wasn’t isolated to one area. Disturbing videos were circulating widely through direct messages on social media.

What stood out most was the scale of targeted sexual violence against Hindu women, especially those associated with BJP supporters. Even CPI(M) cadre and their families were not spared. In some districts, hotel rooms were reportedly booked in advance for organized sexual violence in anticipation of victory.

In places like Diamond Harbour, married Hindu women were allegedly abducted, and their husbands were asked to pay ₹25,000 to secure their release. If they failed, the women would continue to be abused by TMC cadre. I personally spoke with some affected families.

Desperate for legal intervention, victims and their families reached out wherever they could. Petitions were filed in the Supreme Court through Advocates-on-Record, but they were not getting listed.

Around this time, Nupur Sharma called me one night in tears. She told me that a group of Hindu girls were hiding in a temple to avoid being g*ngraped and had no idea whom to trust or how to get help.

One particular case she narrated was horrifying. A girl was gangraped in front of her parents. Despite this, she found the courage to write to the National Commission for Women about the brutality she faced.

When local TMC cadre learned of her complaint, she was allegedly gangraped again in front of her family to force her to withdraw it. She refused. And this was not an isolated case. Nupur asked if we could find a way to help.

I began reaching out to as many people as possible to draw attention and secure help. A few days later, a Kolkata-based NGO working with victims of sexual violence contacted us and sought representation in the Calcutta High Court.

A petition was filed through Siddharth Nayak before the Calcutta High Court on behalf of these victims. By then, multiple petitions, including from CPI(M), had already been filed regarding post-poll violence.

Given the gravity of the situation, the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court constituted a five-judge bench to hear the matter. Around 80,000 people had reportedly fled to Assam, which even the Gauhati High Court took note of.

Senior Advocate Mahesh Jethmalani appeared for some victims, and I represented others. Our primary goal was to push for a Special Investigation Team and ensure that gender-based violence was explicitly included in the investigation.

Given the state government’s denial of sexual violence allegations, it was critical to have this formally recognized. The Calcutta High Court did include it in its directions.

Priyanka Tibrewal played a key role in highlighting the issue in court. In a rare instance, even CPI(M) supported these submissions, as its cadre had also been targeted.

I must also acknowledge the support of young counsels from Kolkata, including Rishav Kumar Singh and Priyanka Agrawal, who stood firm despite serious risks, assisting while I appeared virtually from Delhi.

Alongside Siddharth Nayak, the contributions of Mahesh Jethmalani and Advocate Ravi Sharma were crucial in supporting victims and standing with Nupur Sharma.

So when you celebrate political victories in Bengal, remember those who paid the price for their beliefs with blood, fear, and trauma. This should never happen again anywhere in India.

The Calcutta High Court judgment was later challenged in the Supreme Court, where the matter remains pending.

Guru Purnima Naman to Sadhguru🙏🏽🙏🏽