Kolkata: A division bench of Calcutta High Court on Tuesday recused itself from hearing the National Investigation Agency‘s (NIA) plea challenging the bail granted to 15 accused in the April 2025 Beldanga clash.The bench of Justice Arijit Banerjee and Justice Apurba Sinha Ray sent the case to the bench of Chief Justice Sujoy Paul, who is hearing a PIL on the Beldanga violence and is set to decide on the applicability of UAPA sections in the case.Earlier, a special court had denied the NIA’s plea for an extension of time to complete its probe and granted statutory bail on the ground that the accused had been in custody for more than 90 days without a charge sheet being filed.The bench stated: “Judicial propriety warrants and it will be in the fitness of things if this appeal is also heard by the division bench which is in seisin of the PILs… to avoid any possible conflict of decisions. We respectfully say this since consideration of this appeal on merits will necessarily require us to delve into… the issue of applicability or otherwise of the provisions of the UAPA to the concerned case, which is pending consideration before DB-I headed by the Chief Justice.“
