SC dismisses plea seeking SIT probe into Murshidabad Waqf Act violence

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to entertain a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the recent violent protests in Murshidabad, West Bengal, against the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025.

A bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and N.K. Singh took a stern view of the petition being filed directly before the apex court, stating that the petitioner should have first approached the Calcutta High Court. "This practice of filing direct writ petitions before the Supreme Court, we will deal with very seriously," observed the bench.

The court questioned the necessity of approaching the top court in a matter that involved a single state. “Why don’t you petition the Calcutta High Court? If it was a matter involving multiple states, then we can understand, but this is not such a case,” the bench noted. Consequently, the court rejected the plea but granted the petitioner liberty to move the Calcutta High Court for appropriate relief.

Earlier, on April 22, the Supreme Court had dismissed, as withdrawn, a similar PIL seeking the formation of a five-member judicial inquiry commission under the chairmanship of a retired apex court judge to investigate the communal violence in Murshidabad.

That petition had also sought directions for the West Bengal government to submit a status report on the riots that occurred during protests against the Waqf Amendment Act. It further urged the court to instruct authorities to take action against hate speech targeting any community.

During an earlier hearing on a batch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the recent amendments to the Waqf Act, 1995, a bench led by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna expressed concern over the ongoing unrest. “One thing that is very disturbing is the violence which is taking place. Once the matter is before the court, it should not happen,” the CJI remarked.

With IANS inputs