Police can register FIR against Suvendu in ‘legitimate’ cases: HC

Kolkata: Setting aside an earlier order of Justice Rajasekhar Mantha that gave the Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari protection from FIRs by the police since December 2022, a Division bench of the Calcutta High Court on Thursday observed that police can register FIR against Adhikari in ‘legitimate’ cases.

The Calcutta High Court said an FIR can be registered by the police if they have the correct information. The police can act as per law, it added. In December 2022, Justice Mantha ordered a stay on 26 FIRs against Adhikari. The BJP leader alleged that the complaints were frivolous in nature and had been registered only to harass him.

Adhikari had earlier argued that false cases were being levelled against him and he was being harassed. He alleged the state government was trying to check his movements within the state. Justice Mantha, while ordering the stay, said as an elected representative of the people, Adhikari had the right to move freely within the state.

No coercive step can be taken against Suvendu, the High Court observed. Adhikari has been enjoying protection from arrest since December last year. The ruling Trinamool Congress has accused Adhikari of inciting violence during the recently-concluded Panchayat polls. Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee has, on a number of occasions in the past, accused Adhikari of triggering violence. A few days ago, Abhishek went to meet the violence-affected Trinamool Congress supporters at SSKM Hospital where he expressed dissatisfaction over the protection of Adhikari. He had said that police were unable to take action against him as he was enjoying protection from arrest by the Calcutta High Court.

On a day when Trinamool Congress will observe Martyrs’ Day, Adhikari is likely to participate in a gherao of a BDO office on Friday to protest the alleged irregularities in the Panchayat polls. Adhikari, on Wednesday, participated in a rally from College Square to the Esplanade area in Kolkata to protest the alleged rigging by Trinamool activists across Bengal during the recently-concluded rural elections.