Additional Solicitor General Aman Lekhi on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that despite the Court reserving its order on the petition challenging the Calcutta High Court order rejecting West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s election agent S.K. Supian’s anticipatory bail, the West Bengal Police has registered cases under Section 307, 376 and 341, against the very witnesses, whose statements were relied upon by Lekhi while arguing against granting bail to Supian
ASG Lekhi said this before the bench of Justices L. Nageswara Rao and B.R. Gavai, which had heard the case and reserved verdict. Justice Rao asked ASG Lekhi, “ Is it a fight between the Centre and the State? Why are you bringing that to our notice? We have heard the matter and we have reserved it and we will deliver the judgment. I have seen you also, you are also doing the same thing.”
Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Supian, informed the court that CBI has lodged another FIR on an attempt to rape charge against Supian. Justice Rao: “Mr. Lekhi, we are concerned with an order passed by the High Court refusing to grant anticipatory bail, we have heard you in detail and we will deliver (the) judgment, How are we concerned with all this?’
The CBI has been probing Supian’s role in the death of BJP worker Debabrata Maity, who was allegedly attacked in Nandigram a day after the declaration of Assembly election results, and succumbed to his injuries at SSKM Hospital. Violence had erupted in Nandigram and neighbouring areas upon the loss of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee from the Assembly constituency, even though the ruling Trinamool Congress secured a comfortable victory in the state.
The Calcutta High Court had ordered a CBI probe into the killings and sexual assault that took place in the state, allegedly at the behest of the ruling party, after their victory in the Assembly elections.
Supian had been questioned by CBI in the aftermath of post-poll violence at Nandigram. He had applied for anticipatory bail in the Calcutta High Court and the Court had granted him protection from arrest till November 9. This protection had been subsequently lifted by the Calcutta High Court.