Kolkata: A single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court on Thursday put a stay on all the 26 FIRs filed by the West Bengal Police against the Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari.
Adhikari had recently approached the bench of Justice Rajasekhar Mantha with a plea of either dismissing the FIRs filed against him or let an independent agency like the Central Bureau of Investigation probe such cases.
In his plea, he also alleged the FIRs were deliberately filed against him under the instructions of the ruling Trinamool Congress out of political vendetta.
During Thursday’s hearing, Justice Mantha also questioned the filing of so many FIRs even after the Calcutta High Court gave Adhikari a shield against any cohesive action.
Justice Mantha further observed that Adhikari is Leader of the Opposition elected by the people and under such circumstances the police either on its own or under the instruction of anybody cannot take steps to halt his actions.
“The court cannot overlook all the apprehensions of the Leader of the Opposition on this count,” he observed.
The bench also asked the state government to file its answer in the form of an affidavit within the next six weeks following which the court will decide whether the matters would be handed over to any independent agency for investigation.
–IANS
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