The Calcutta High Court on Monday refused to stay the police investigation in connection with a Tarpaulin theft case, in which leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal State Assembly Suvendu Adhikari, was named as an accused in the related FIR.
The bench of Justice Tirthankar Ghosh was hearing the plea of the BJP leader who had sought quashing of an FIR filed by Contai police in which he and four others, including his brother Soumendu, were accused of stealing tarpaulins from the civic body’s godown on May 29.
Senior counsel appearing for Suvendu Adhikari said that the latter has been falsely implicated because of the fact that he had joined the rival political party and has subsequently been appointed as the Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly.
The advocate also submitted that “there has been other instances of political leaders being falsely implicated in a number of cases who are opposed to the ruling political party in power and running the state government.”
“I have heard the arguments advanced by learned senior counsel who has emphasized on this court with a prayer for an interim order in respect of interference with the continuance of the proceedings or to stay the hands of the police in respect of the petitioners who are before this court in connection with the criminal proceedings which have been challenged,” the bench said in its order.
While stating that the interim order prayed for is refused at this stage,Justice Tirthankar Ghosh said, “However, the petitioners will be at liberty to renew their prayer for an interim order on the next date fixed for hearing.”
The court further noted that it is not inclined to pass any interim order at this stage without perusal of the case diary and the materials collected by the investigating agency. Thus, the public prosecutor has been directed to produce the case diary on the next date.
The matter has been scheduled for next hearing on June 22 before the available bench.
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Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/law/story/tarpaulins-theft-case-calcutta-hc-police-probe-bengal-lop-suvendu-adhikari-1815143-2021-06-15
