NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday decided to examine on Friday, a plea of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nisith Pramanik for anticipatory bail in an attempt-to-murder case lodged in 2018
A bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and Pankaj Mithal sought response from the West Bengal government.
The court asked senior advocate P S Patwalia, appearing for Pramanik, to serve the copy of the petition on the state's counsel.
Pramaniks counsel contended before the court that his client is a member of Parliament and a Minister and the high court declined to grant him protection from arrest.
He said that earlier he was with the Trinamool Congress and now he is with the BJP, and he may be arrested in the case.
The counsel asked the court to grant him protection.
On this, the bench asked when his plea is still pending before the high court and why he cant move over there.
Responding to the query, the counsel said the high court will examine the matter on January 22, and in the meanwhile, there is an apprehension that police may arrest Pramanik.
After the brief submissions, the court fixed the matter for hearing on January 12.
Pramanik challenged the January 4 order of the Jalpaiguri Circuit Bench of the Calcutta High Court by which it had refused to grant him interim protection in the case.
An attempt-to-murder case was registered against Pramanik with Dinhata police station of Cooch Behar district of West Bengal in 2018, when a group of people had opened fire on Trinamool Congress workers.
A person was allegedly shot at and injured in the firing.
