Kolkata: The West Bengal government and TMC MP Tapas Pal on Wednesday appealed before a division bench of Calcutta High Court challenging a single bench order that directed registration of an FIR against TMC MP for his controversial comments against women and a CID probe into it. The hearing is in progress before the division bench and will continue on Thursday.
The court has passed an order not to effect the interim order till 2 PM on Thursday which means there will be no action against Pal for the time being.
In their appeal the defence councle argued that the single bench has gone beyond its jurisdiction and the verdict was unconstitutional.
Earlier the single bench of Calcutta High Court while passing the verdict on a petition seeking CID investigation into Pal's comments against women and other opposition party supporters at election rallies had also made caustic observations about the state's law and order situation and the role of police.
The bench had directed that the high court would monitor the probe in view of West Bengal government's stand that the complaint did not disclose any cognisable offence and that the state tried to back the MP. In its order on Monday the bench directed Inspector in-charge of Nakashipara police station in Nadia district to treat the July 1 complaint by petitioner Biplab Chowdhury, a resident of Pal's constituency Krishnagar in Nadia district, as an FIR.
The court also directed the state DGP to transfer the case to the DIG, CID, within 72 hours of the order being uploaded in the high court's website. Justice Dutta directed the CID authorities to file a status report on progress of investigation on September one. Pal had in an open letter tendered unconditional apology to the media and the public at-large for his unsavoury comments.
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