The Supreme Court today stayed the order of the Delhi High Court, refusing to quash the summons issued to Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee, nephew of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and his wife Rujira Naroola Banerjee, seeking their personal presence in New Delhi for interrogation in the coal scam.
A Bench comprising Justices U.U. Lalit, Justice S. Ravindra Bhat and Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia have issued notice in the plea have stayed impugned order in the interim, after putting before them some conditions like:
1.Directorate will be free to require attendance of the petitioner in their Kolkata office by merely giving 24 hours notice
2. A notice will have to be issued to Commission of Police and Chief Secretary of West Bengal to rule of any eventuality.
3. The Counsel appearing for West Bengal should be given complete assistance by state machinery so that effective interrogation or examination be undertaken by the department.
After the assurance was given by Counsel for the State that the state machinery will make sure that the examination of Banerjee’ will go smooth, the Supreme Court has passed the interim direction.
The court added in case there is any obstacle or interference during the interrogation,the Directorate shall be at liberty to approach the vacation bench of this court for appropriate directions.
Counsel for West Bengal has also made sure that in case of any complaints for the official involved in interrogation, no coercive action of any kind will be initiated by police or any state machinery without the permission of the Court.