The Court was hearing a petition filed by 33 voters along with a Trinamool Congress candidate Sanchita Mondal, who is contesting from Sonachura. They alleged that the CPM activists were preventing them from entering their villages.
The petitioners claimed that the local police was reluctant to take steps to enable their return to the villages. The CPM cadres have unleashed a reign of terror in Sonachura after the date of withdrawal of the nominations had expired. They reportedly threatened the villagers to either cast vote in favour of the CPM candidate or leave the village, the petitioners alleged.
Many a time the CPM supporters attacked the Trinamool supporters in Sonachura area. With the violence escalating from the third week of April, they were forced to leave their villages and take shelter in a camp, the petition said. Advocate Subrata Mukherjee, meanwhile, sought an order from a Division Bench that panchayat elections be held under the direct supervision of the Central forces. The court refused to interfere in the electoral process.