WB LoP Suvendu Adhikari Challenges Calcutta High Court's FIR Order in Supreme Court

NEW DELHI: West Bengal's Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari has filed a plea in the Supreme Court against the Calcutta High Court's July 20 order for lodging an FIR against him for his alleged "provocative speeches' made during the Panchayat polls.

Appearing for Adhikari, advocate Bansuri Swaraj mentioned the plea before a bench led by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, which said the matter would come up on August 4.

The counsel said the High Court's order of July 20 was against the Supreme Court's previous order and the co-ordinate bench's order of the High Court prohibiting lodging of any FIR against the petitioner.

She said he is in precarious situation. After the High Court's order, multiple FIRs could be lodged against him. Even after filing of the special leave petition on July 24, an FIR has already been filed against him, she submitted.

The petitioner apprehended grave harassment and threat to his liberty, she added.

The counsel also said the High Court's order was passed in a PIL without granting any opportunity of hearing to the petitioner.

"The police machinery in the State of West Bengal is in collusion with the current ruling party, constantly attempting to foist cases against the petitioner," his plea contended.

The petitioner submitted that he defeated the current Chief Minister of the State, Mamata Banerjee from the Nandigram constituency in 2021.

"Post the assembly elections, he has been facing a barrage of criminal cases being foisted against him. The overzealousness of the police, which is acting on the instructions of the current ruling party is a glaring example of misuse of powers vested in the hands of the Chief Minister. He is facing absurd and vexatious criminal case one after another," his plea said.

On December 19, 2020, the petitioner joined the Bharatiya Janata Party and contested Assembly Elections in May, 2021. "Since then, the State has been relentlessly harassing the petitioner due to his switch, which intensified after the Assembly Elections," his plea stated.