The Calcutta High Court on Friday asked the state government to place the findings of the inquiry into the alleged thrashing of prisoners by policemen at the Presidency Jail on September 16, 2008.

The Association for Protection of Democratic Rights (APDR) had filed a petition last year alleging that an undertrial, Azaharuddin, was assaulted to death by the police in the Presidency Jail in the incident. The APDR counsel pleaded that condition of the Presidency and Howrah jails was very poor as proper food and other facilities were not given to prisoners. The APDR alleged when the prisoners demanded had food allotted for them, the police beat them up, causing the death of Azaharuddin.

Advocate General Bolai Roy said two groups of inmates had clashed on September 16, in which Azaharuddin sustained fatal injuries. A magisterial inquiry is underway and the State Human Right Commission has also conducted an inquiry, he added.

After the hearing, a Division Bench of Chief Justice S S Nijjar and Justice Biswanath Somadder asked the state to place the inquiry report of the magistrate and report of the State Human Right Commission. The case will come up for hearing after four weeks.

Pollution Board seeks review of Swabhumi project

Kolkata: The West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) on Friday informed the Calcutta High Court that it has not yet granted permission for construction of a guesthouse and other buildings at Swabhumi — a heritage park on the E M Bypass owned by Ganapati Park. The board in an affidavit said it had given only a provisional permission for the preparatory work of the project and now wanted to examine the details of the proposed project at Swabhumi before providing the NOC. The Ganapati Park had approached the WBPCB in June 2008 for obtaining the permission for constructing a guesthouse, three buildings and an underground car parking at Swabhumi. On Friday, WBPCB said it wanted to examine whether the proposed construction would affect the greenery of Swabhumi.