Kolkata: A single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court, on Thursday June 30, slapped a show-cause notice to the West Bengal’s Director General of Police, Manoj Malviya on charges of contempt of court.
Two other Indian Police Service (IPS) officers namely former Jhargram district police superintendent, Biswajit Ghosh and the current Jhargram district additional police superintendent (headquarter), Kalyan Sarkar were also slapped notice.
There three police officers will have to be present at the Calcutta High court’s division bench of Sabyasachi Bhattacharya on July 30 and explain why proceedings under contempt of court charges will not be initiated against them.
Justice Bhattacharya passed this ruling against the three police officers while hearing on a petition by leader of the opposition in West Bengal assembly, Suvendu Adhikari that he was stopped by police at least 20 km away from his destination while he was going to Netai in Jhargram district to attend a party programme on January 7, 2022.
In his petition he also alleged that he was stopped by the police showing reasons that the ruling Trinamool Congress too was organizing a party programme at Netai and hence his entry there might disrupt law & order situation. He also alleged that the district police stopped him on January 7 this year following the instructions of the three police officers mentioned.
In his argument, Adhikari’s counsel said that last year in the same bench during hearing on the security aspects of the leader of the opposition, the advocate general assured on behalf of the state government that Adhikari can move freely anywhere in the state and it will be the duty of the state to make arrangement for his security.
Even after that assurance from the state advocate general the leader of the opposition was stopped by police on January 7 this year from reaching his destination and hence it boils down to contempt of court. On hearing arguments from both sides, Justice Bhattacharya issued show-cause notice to the three police officials.
