The Supreme Court on Friday criticised the CBI over its plea seeking transfer of cases relating to the 2021 post-post violence outside West Bengal. The court said the agency cannot cast aspersions on the entire judiciary in West Bengal.
"Mr Raju what kind of grounds are taken in this? How can you cast aspersions on entire judiciary. You are showing as if there is a hostile environment in whole West Bengal. Your officers may not like the judicial officer or a particular state but don't say that the entire judiciary is not functioning. The judges the district judges and civil judges and sessions judges can't come here and defend themselves,” the bench told Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, who was appearing for the CBI.
After the criticism, SV Raju chose to withdraw the transfer petition. He told the court that there was some "loose drafting" in the petition.
"Scandalous allegations have been made against all the courts in general in West Bengal. Repeatedly averred that there is a hostile environment prevailing in the courts. It is very unfortunate that the Central Agency has chosen to cast aspersions on courts in West Bengal," the bench observed.
The petition was filed in December last year seeking to relocate the cases outside of West Bengal. The petition had claimed that victims displaced by violence were being prevented from returning to their homes by the ruling All India Trinamool Congress (TMC). The Court had issued notice on the petition in February.