E-Paper
MoS Nisith Pramanik granted anticipatory bail in 2018 attempt-to-murder case
An attempt-to-murder case was registered against Pramanik at Dinhata police station after a clash broke ahead of the panchayat polls in 2018 in which two persons were allegedly critically injured
Kolkata: The Jalpaiguri circuit bench of the Calcutta high court on Thursday granted anticipatory bail to Union minister of state (MoS) for home affairs Nisith Pramanik in a 2018 attempt-to-murder case registered in West Bengal’s Cooch Behar district.
“Pramanik was granted bail in the 2018 attempt-to-murder case. The bench has further directed him to surrender before the additional chief judicial magistrate’s court in Dinhata,” said Aditi Shankar Chakraborty, additional public prosecutor.
“The state had declared him as a proclaimed offender. The bench observed that he was hardly remotely connected to the crime. He has been asked to appear before the lower court and apply for bail,” said Sayak Chakraborty, counsel of Pramanik.
Also Read: SC grants protection from arrest to Union minister Nisith Pramanik in 2018 case
The Supreme Court on January 12 granted him protection from arrest in the case and asked the circuit bench of the Calcutta high court to take up his bail plea. Pramanik had challenged a January 4 high court order refusing to grant him protection from arrest.
An attempt-to-murder case was registered against Pramanik at Dinhata police station after a clash broke ahead of the panchayat polls in 2018 in which two persons were allegedly critically injured by gunshot wounds.
Pramanik was charged under sections 307 (attempt to murder) and 326 (causing grievous hurt) of the Indian Penal Code.
A warrant was issued against Pramanik by a lower court in connection with the case, following which he moved the anticipatory bail before the circuit bench.
Pramanik, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Cooch Behar, was earlier a youth leader with the TMC.
In 2018, however, he rebelled against the TMC and is said to be behind fielding independent candidates against the party in that year’s panchayat elections. He joined the BJP in February 2019 and was fielded from Cooch Behar, where he won.
In May 2021, when Pramanik contested the West Bengal assembly polls, the affidavit submitted to the Election Commission of India revealed that at least 13 criminal cases were pending against him.
These include charges of murder, dacoity, attempt to murder, causing grievous hurt and theft, among others. Pramanik, a former primary school assistant teacher, has not been convicted in any of the cases according to the affidavit.
“The bench was of the opinion that there was political complexion to this case, and Pramanik was roped into this case out of political vendetta. The bench also found no evidence connecting Pramanik to the alleged crime and granted him anticipatory bail,” his lawyer Bansuri Swaraj told media persons.
