Calcutta High Court Revokes FIR Immunity Granted To Suvendu Adhikari

Kolkata: In a major setback for Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, Calcutta High Court on Friday had revoked the immunity which was earlier granted to him as protection from the registration of FIRs without prior court approval.

Earlier in December 2022, Justice Rajasekhar Mantha, had effectively barred the state police from lodging any new FIRs against Adhikari without the court’s consent and almost after two and a half years, Justice Jay Sengupta of Calcutta High Court had dismissed 15 cases against and formed a SIT comprising CBI an official and an official from West Bengal police which will probe the remaining five cases against Adhikari.

Justice Sengupta had observed that such a blanket ban is given for ‘interim period’ and also mentioned that such a thing cannot be a ‘permanent solution’.

Political Analysts are of mind that the Leader of Opposition can still challenge this observation and can move to higher division or Supreme Court.

Welcoming the decision, Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Debangshu Bhattacharya said, “Even Mahishasur thought he was immortal. But eventually had to die while facing Goddess Durga. Something similar will happen again now.”

Reacting to the development, Adhikari said that the observation clearly shows that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee uses state police as her ‘political tool’.