SC Sets Aside HC Order Directing CBI Probe Into Attack On Union MoS Nisith Pramanik's Convoy In Bengal

The convoy of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nisith Pramanik was 'attacked' in Cooch Behar. The Supreme Court asked High Court to look into fresh material placed by West Bengal police.

File Photo: Union MoS Nisith Pramanik and BJP State President Sukanta Majumdar look at a damaged vehicle during their visit to the damaged house of party workers which was allegedly attacked by rival TMC workers, in Cooch Behar, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023.

Source : PTI

The Supreme Court on Thursday set aside the Calcutta High Court order directing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe an alleged attack on the convoy of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nisith Pramanik in Cooch Behar and the allegations pertaining to it. In February, the convoy of Nisith Pramanik, the Minister of State, Home and Youth Affairs and Sports, was attacked allegedly by Trinamool Congress workers when he was on his way to meet the party workers in Cooch Behar district.

According to news agency PTI, the apex court remitted the matter back the matter to Calcutta High Court. A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and justices P S Narasimha and J B Pardiwala took note of an additional affidavit of the West Bengal Police on the status of the probe and asked the high court to look afresh into the material and decide whether a CBI probe was needed.

"We set aside the Calcutta High Court order," the bench said, as quoted by PTI.

On March 28, the Calcutta High Court ordered a CBI probe into the alleged attack on the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs' convoy during a visit to his constituency in Cooch Behar district on February 25. The Calcutta HC passed the order on a PIL filed by the Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, seeking a CBI probe into the attack alleging a conspiracy to "cause bodily harm" to Pramanik, a BJP MP, during his visit to Dinhata.

Nisith Pramanik's Convoy 'Attacked'

The incident took place when the TMC workers showed black flags while Nisith Pramanik's convoy was passing through the area.

When the BJP workers confronted them, violent clashes erupted between both sides. The workers also pelted stones at each other.

The police had to resort to tear gas shell firing and lathi-charge to bring the situation under control.

The party workers alleged stones were hurled at his cavalcade by TMC supporters.

Refuting the claims, TMC said the incident might have been the fallout of infighting within the saffron party.

"We don't know what happened there, so it won't be right to comment just on news reports. But, I don't think the TMC is in any way involved in it. It must be due to infighting between the newcomers and old-timers of the BJP," PTI quoted TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh as saying. 

According to police, there were 20 vehicles in Pramanik's convoy, and about 200 people on motorcycles were accompanying it. The scuffle broke out when five people tried to wave black flags at Pramanik, the MP of Cooch Behar.

“It was a minor scuffle between people in the minister's convoy and bystanders carrying black flags, when the cavalcade was passing through the Sitai police station area. During the scuffle, a few motorcycles were damaged. On-duty police officers intervened, and the situation was brought under control. We have not arrested anyone," Cooch Behar Superintendent of Police (SP) Sumit Kumar said.

BJP's national Vice President Dilip Ghosh said that the attack was shameful and condemned it saying that such incidents are a “regular affair in the state where opposition workers are attacked.”