Kolkata: The West Bengal government filed Tuesday an appeal before the Calcutta High Court. It challenged an order of a single bench that directed the police not to take coercive action against BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari in criminal cases relating to him in West Bengal. The matter was mentioned by a state lawyer before a division bench presided over by Justice Subrata Talukdar with regard to filing an appeal against the single bench order. West Bengal’s appeal may be listed for hearing before the bench Wednesday, a lawyer associated with the matter said.
Justice Rajasekhar Mantha stayed proceedings Monday against Adhikari, Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, in connection with three cases relating to the death of a security guard, an alleged political clash in Nandigram and a case of snatching lodged in Contai, Nandigram and Panskura police stations respectively in Purba Medinipur district.
Allowing investigation in an alleged job scam case registered with Maniktala police station in Kolkata and a case of ‘threatening’ the police at Tamluk, the court directed that no coercive action can be taken against Adhikari in connection with these two cases.
Directing the West Bengal government to furnish information regarding any further FIR registered against Adhikari, the bench said the state will have to obtain permission of the court before arresting him or taking any coercive action against him in all such cases.
Justice Mantha directed Adhikari to cooperate with the investigating officers in connection with the two cases in which investigation will continue, while making it clear that the investigators will, as far as possible, accommodate him, if he is required to give any statement, from a place and time convenient to him, considering his public responsibilities.
The order was passed by the high court in Adhikari’s petition seeking the court’s intervention in criminal proceedings filed against him by the police or an order transferring investigation of the cases to CBI.