Calcutta High Court on Wednesday rejected Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury's plea for an order to the State Election Commission (SEC) not to hold the panchayat polls in Bengal without making proper arrangements for the safety and security of common people.

In the petition, the state Congress president had also asked for an order to the commission to conduct the elections in multiple phases. The rural polls are scheduled to be held in a single phase on Saturday.

While rejecting the petition, the division bench headed by Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam noted that the court had already issued an order on June 16 and the petitioner was well aware of that.

“So, there is no necessity to hear the petition,” said the Chief Justice.

In the June 16 verdict, the high court had said it was up to the commission to decide how the polls would be conducted and the court couldn't interfere. In the same order, the commission was instructed to take all steps to make the polls free of violence.

Parole challenged

A petition was filed in the high court challenging the Bengal government’s decision to release on six-day parole Anisur Rahman who was in jail in connection with the murder of Korban Shah in 2019.

Justice Jay Sengupta will hear the case on Thursday. But the court imposed some restrictions on Rahman’s movement till the hearing of the case lodged against his parole.

There were 36 criminal cases against Rahman, a resident of Panskura in East Midnapore. In February 2021, before the Assembly elections, the state had withdrawn all the cases against him and released him from prison. Then, too, the state’s action was challenged before the judiciary and the court set aside the decision.

On Monday, Rahman prayed for bail, citing the illness of the mother. The secretary of the correctional services department decided to release him on parole from Tuesday to Sunday.

Challenging the department’s decision, Sheikh’s family members moved the petition before Justice Sengupta.