Sandeshkhali case: Supreme Court stays Lok Sabha panel action against top Bengal officials

Sandeshkhali unrest: SC issued notice on a plea filed by chief secretary seeking orders as Lok Sabha Privileges Committee asked officials to appear today.

The Supreme Court on Monday stayed breach of privilege proceedings issued against West Bengal chief secretary Bhagwati Prasad Gopalika and director general of police Rajeev Kumar among other officials on a complaint by Bharatiya Janata Party MP Sukanta Majumdar alleging misconduct and life-threatening injuries during a protest over Sandeshkhali violence.

A view of the Supreme Court in Delhi. (AFP)

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and justices JB Pardiwla and Manoj Misra issued notice on a petition filed by West Bengal chief secretary seeking urgent orders as the Privileges Committee of the Lok Sabha had asked the officials to appear on Monday.

The court issued notice on the petition and posted it after four weeks

Sukanta Majumdar sustained injuries last week as BJP workers clashed with police personnel after being stopped from going to violence-hit Sandeshkhali in West Bengal.

The bench took note of the submissions of senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for the state officials, and stayed the notices issued seeking their presence at 10.30am on Monday.

The counsel for the Lok Sabha secretariat opposed the grant of stay by the Supreme Court, saying this is the first sitting of the privileges committee.

“They are not being accused of anything. This is a regular process. Once an MP sends a notice and the speaker thinks there is something to look into then notices are issued,” the counsel said.

The bench issued notices to the Lok Sabha secretariat and others and sought their responses in four weeks and in the meanwhile stayed the proceedings before the panel of the lower House.

The MP and others were stopped from entering Sandeshkhali, where women have been agitating over alleged atrocities committed against them by Trinamool Congress leader Shajahan Sheikh and his associates.

Sandeshkhali has been tense with a large number of women in the locality accusing Shajahan Sheikh and his supporters of "land-grab and sexually assaulting" them under coercion.