Kolkata: Bengal govt has filed an appeal in Supreme Court challenging a Calcutta High Court order granting Trinamool national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee interim protection from arrest till Nov 30.The relief was granted on Aug 25 by Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya in a slew of criminal cases registered in Kolkata and South 24 Parganas. State govt filed its petition seeking to set aside the order before the expiry of the deadline. The hearing is likely after the Diwali judicial recess.During proceedings in the HC, state govt opposed the interim protection and requested a stay. It argued that serious criminal allegations were registered against Banerjee under statutory penal provisions across multiple police stations, including Bhowanipore, Kalitala and Bishnupur in South 24 Parganas.The state contended that Banerjee had not applied for anticipatory bail in individual cases, that multiple FIRs could not be challenged collectively in a single petition, and that an accused should not receive blanket protection in multiple cases.Banerjee had petitioned the HC alleging political vendetta following the assembly election results, citing the 16 FIRs lodged against him.The HC rejected the state’s contentions and granted interim protection in cases relating to the Bhowanipore, Kalitala and Bishnupur police stations. The court observed that the FIRs registered at Kalitala and Bishnupur — pertaining to incidents from 2017 and 2020 — did not specify direct involvement by Banerjee and were filed only in June after a change of regime, without complaints being filed at the time of the alleged incidents.The court made no finding on the allegation of political vendetta, stating that the issue would be considered upon overall adjudication.The HC did not quash any FIR and directed that the police investigation would continue. Under the conditions of the interim order, police must issue at least 48 hours’ notice prior to questioning Banerjee, the MP must cooperate with the investigation and he cannot travel abroad without court permission. The HC directed police to submit an investigation progress report by Nov 23.
