Two BJP councillors get anticipatory bail in abduction case

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday granted anticipatory bail to two BJP councillors of West Bengal's Bongaon Municipality in connection with a case of alleged kidnapping of a woman colleague.

The two councillors, who switched to the saffron brigade recently from the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), have been named in a complaint filed in the abduction case.

Apprehending arrest in the case, Himangshu Mondal and Kartik Mondal moved the high court seeking anticipatory bail.

The accused civic body members claimed that they have been falsely implicated in a "fabricated" case due to their political affiliation.

A division bench comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and M Mandal granted them anticipatory bail on personal bond of Rs 20,000 each.

The court also directed the two councillors to meet the investigating officer every alternate day.

Lawyers representing the Bharatiya Janata Party councillors claimed Himangshu and Kartik were not allowed to vote in the no-confidence motion against the chairman of Bongaon Municipality, which was in turmoil after 11 TMC councillors in the 22-member House moved to the saffron camp.

The TMC had claimed that it won the trust vote, with 10 members voting in favour of the chairman Shankar Addhya, while 11 BJP councillors, including the two petitioners, alleged that they were denied a chance to enter the municipal body office during the scheduled voting process on July 16.