Chief Justice of the Tripura High Court Akil Abdulhamid Kureshi rejected the petition filed by the Trinamool Congress seeking a stay order on the probe against its leaders who had earlier been booked by the police. The Chief Justice also directed the police to continue with their probe against the Trinamool leaders for allegedly obstructing the police from performing their duties, court officials said. The High Court also served a notice to all the concerned persons, including the state
Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, West Bengal Education Minister Bratya Basu, Rajya Sabha Member Dola Sen, party’s chief spokesman Kunal Ghosh, Subal Bhowmik and Prakash Das were booked by the police on August 10 for obstructing official duties and misbehaving” with the force at the Khowai police station on August 8.
“The court has directed the Khowai police station authority to continue the probe, but the police will not file any final report without the the court’s permission”, said Advocate General Siddhartha Shankar Dey. He said that the Chief Justice Kureshi, after hearing the appeal, rejected the petition filed to quash the case and stay the police investigation against the Trinamool leaders.
Supreme Court advocate Sidharth Luthra, and ex-advocate general of Mizoram Biswajit Deb appeared before the court for the petitioner.
According to the police, the Trinamool leaders were booked under Sections 186 (obstruction to public servants in discharge of his public function) and 36 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code
Trinamool leader Subal Bhowmik, said that the High Court’s order was like a “victory for them” as the court has asked the police not to add any other sections to the case or submit their report without the permission of the court.
Bhowmik, who along with many other Congress leaders joined the Trinamool last month, said that on August 8, led by Banerjee and Basu, they went to the Khowai police station after 14 Trinamool leaders were arrested for alleged “violation of Covid protocols”.
“After the local court released the 14 Trinamool leaders on personal bond, we had returned to Agartala. At that time the police did not mention any issue against us, but subsequently they filed a suo-moto case against us,” Bhowmik said.
In a video that went viral on social media, the Trinamool leaders can be seen raising their fingers and asking the Khowai police station officials as to “why the 14 Trinamool leaders and members were arrested after being attacked by the BJP workers”.
