Mamata govt challenges Calcutta HC order of interim relief to Suvendu Adhikari – Hindustan Times

The West Bengal government on Tuesday moved the division bench of the Calcutta high court challenging an order of the single bench which had stayed the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) probe into the death of BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari’s security guard, officials said.

Adhikari, who is the Leader of the opposition in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly, did not appear before the CID in connection with the probe on Monday.

“A single-judge bench of the Calcutta high court stayed the fresh probe initiated by the CID three years after the death of Adhikari’s security bodyguard in 2018,” B Bhattacharya, Adhikari’s lawyer, said on Monday.

He also said that the court also put a stay on the two other cases in which Adhikari has been named. While one pertains to post-poll violence in Nandigram, another is a snatching case at Panskura.

“In two other cases, the court has said that investigators can question him at a place of Adhikari’s choice, but would not be able to take any coercive action. In future too coercive actions can’t be taken against Adhikari without the court’s permission,” Bhattacharya added.

On Tuesday, the state government moved the division bench of the Calcutta high court challenging the order. The matter is likely to be heard on Wednesday.

In July, the CID initiated a fresh probe into the death of Adhikari’s security guard who reportedly died by suicide in 2018, officials said. The victim’s wife had lodged a complaint demanding a fresh probe. On Monday, Adhikari was summoned by the CID for questioning. He, however, skipped it.