BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari moves SC against Calcutta HC order allowing FIRs

New Delhi, July 27 Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear on August 4, the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) leader and Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly Suvendu Adhikari’s plea challenging a July 20 order of Calcutta High Court vacating a two-year-long restraint on West Bengal police in registering FIRs against him.
Adhikari mentioned today his plea before a two-judge bench of the Apex Court, headed by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and also comprising Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia, which agreed to list the case for hearing on August 4.
Adhikari has moved the Supreme Court against a Calcutta High Court order that paved the way for the registration of a criminal complaint against him for allegedly promoting enmity in his panchayat election speeches.
“It will be listed on August 4,” Justice Kaul said.
On July 20, the Calcutta High Court had directed the West Bengal Police to consider a public interest litigation (PIL) petition before the Court as a complaint.
A division bench of the Calcutta High Court, headed by Justice IP Mukherji and Justice Biswaroop Chowdhury had asked the police to examine if any case under Section 153-A (Promoting enmity between different groups) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was made out against Adhikari, and to register a First Information Report (FIR) against the BJP leader.
This led the BJP leader to move the Apex Court with an appeal.
In his plea, Adhikari said that since his election win on a BJP ticket, he has faced a barrage of criminal cases based on false complaints.
The interim High Court order under challenge was passed without hearing him or letting him file a reply, he said.