SUVENDU SKIPS CID SUMMONS, GETS INTERIM RELIEF FROM HC

The Calcutta high court on Monday granted Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suvendu Adhikari protection from coercive action in two cases and stayed police proceedings in three others, criticising “misuse” of state machinery to investigate the Bengal Leader of Opposition.

The development came on a day Adhikari did not appear before the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in connection with the probe into the death of his bodyguard, citing prior political engagements.

Justice Rajasekhar Mantha stayed proceedings against Adhikari in connection with three cases pertaining to the death of the bodyguard, 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 probe in an alleged job scam case registered with Maniktala police station in Kolkata and a case of allegedly threatening the police at Tamluk, the court directed that no coercive action can be taken against him in connection with these. Adhikari is not a named accused in the cases filed in Contai and Maniktala police stations. “in the instant case, there is prima facie evidence before this court of abuse and or misuse of state and police machinery in registering cases for investigation based on halftruths, fiction, concoctions and nonevents,” the court said.

“We have to see the HC order first, to comment on it,” said Kunal Ghosh, Trinamool Congress spokesperson.

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