HC stays EC's preventive action order against 'troublemakers'

The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday stayed an order from the Election Commission's police observer, who had directed the West Bengal director general of police (DGP) to take preventive action against several citizens terming them as “troublemakers” ahead of the first-phase polling in the eastern state.

- Joydeep Thakur, Harsh Yadav, and Prawesh Lama

A division bench of chief justice Sujoy Paul and justice Partha Sarathi Sen held that the police observer had “erred in issuing a blanket direction by treating certain citizens as troublemakers” and stayed the April 21 order till June 30. The order came on a PIL filed by advocate Md Danish Farooqui, alleging that people's fundamental right fo liberty would beaffected by the order.

“In our prima facie view the police observer in the office of CEO of West Bengal has erred in issuing ablanket direction by treating certain citizens as ‘troublemakers’. As an interim measure, we deem it proper to stay the effect and operation of the impugned order dated April 21 till the last day of June, 2026 or till further order whichever is earlier,” the court ordered.