On Wednesday, the Calcutta High Court, led by Chief Justice Sujay Paul and Justice Partha Sarathi Sen, ruled that preventive arrests can be made in accordance with legal provisions for the upcoming two-phase Assembly elections in West Bengal, starting on April 23. This decision came in response to a petition expressing concerns over the potential arrest of around 800 Trinamool Congress leaders and workers following directives from the Election Commission of India (ECI). The court emphasized that individuals cannot be arrested merely for being labeled as potential 'trouble-makers', which it described as an 'impugned' directive from a police observer. However, the court clarified that this ruling does not prevent authorities from acting against individuals committing actual offenses under existing laws. The ECI's counsel noted that preventive measures have been employed in past elections to maintain order.