The Calcutta High Court has directed the Chairman of the District Primary School Council, Uttar Dinajpur, to file a report on the compensation provided to students for stolen textbooks.
This direction was issued in response to a public interest petition filed by Debabrata Ghosh and others, highlighting the theft of nearly 2,00,000 primary school textbooks from a godown.
The petitioners expressed concern that the two accused individuals could not have committed the theft alone and that there may be a larger conspiracy involved.
However, since a charge-sheet has already been filed, the court declined to issue any directions that might hamper the trial.
Instead, the court focused on ensuring that the affected students received adequate compensation.
The report directed to be filed by the Chairman of the District Primary School Council must detail the number of books stolen, recovered, and distributed to primary school students.
Additionally, the report must clarify whether the remaining students received new books and provide information on other related matters.
The Division Bench of Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya has listed the matter for further hearing on January 30, 2025, and has given the Chairman three weeks to file the report.