New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the notices issued by the privileges committee of the Lok Sabha Secretariat to the West Bengal chief secretary, DGP and others over a complaint of "misconduct" filed against them by BJP MP Sukanta Majumdar. Majumdar sustained injuries last week as BJP workers clashed with police personnel after being stopped from going to violence-hit Sandeshkhali in West Bengal.
A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwla and Manoj Misra took note of the submissions of senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for the state officials, and stayed the notices issued seeking their presence at 10.30 am on Monday.
The counsel for the Lok Sabha secretariat opposed the grant of stay by the top court, saying this is the first sitting of the privileges committee. They are not being accused of anything. This is a regular process. Once an MP sends a notice and the speaker thinks there is something to look into then notices are issued, the counsel said.
West Bengal Chief Secretary Bhagwati Prasad Gopalika and Director General of Police (DGP) Rajeev Kumar were summoned by the Lok Sabha Secretariat to appear on Monday. The bench issued notices to the Lok Sabha Secretariat and others and sought their responses in four weeks and in the meanwhile stayed the proceedings before the panel of the lower House.
The MP and others were stopped from entering Sandeshkhali, where women have been agitating over alleged atrocities committed against them by Trinamool Congress leader Shajahan Sheikh and his aides. Sandeshkhali has been tense with a large number of women in the locality accusing Trinamool Congress strongman Shajahan Sheikh and his supporters of "land-grab and sexually assaulting" them under coercion.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a PIL seeking a court-monitored CBI or SIT probe into the violence in West Bengal's Sandeshkhali village. A bench of Justices B V Nagarathna and Augustine George Masih said the Calcutta High Court is already seized of the matter and taken cognisance.
"Let there be no dual forums," the bench said while granting liberty to the PIL petitioner to approach the high court. As the bench was disinclined to entertain the matter, petitioner-lawyer Alakh Alok Srivastava withdrew the PIL. The matter was dismissed as withdrawn.
Sandeshkhali, a village in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, has been witnessing violent protests over allegations of sexual abuse of women by a local TMC leader and his supporters. Several women have accused local Trinamool Congress strongman Shajahan Sheikh and his supporters of land grab and sexual assault.
Sheikh is absconding ever since a mob, allegedly linked to him, attacked Enforcement Directorate officials who had gone to search his premises in connection with a corruption case.
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