Shivani Thakur
Published on: July 2, 2022 at 15:48 IST
In response to a contempt complaint brought by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suvendu Adhikari, the Calcutta High Court ordered the Director General of Police (DGP), West Bengal Manoj Malaviya and two officers of the Indian Police Service (IPS) to explain their actions. The Court had specifically ordered that they be allowed to visit the village of Netai.
Justice Sabyasachi Bhattacharyya was hearing a plea by Adhikari who claimed he was stopped from entering the Netai village in Jhargram on 7 January, in contravention of the Court’s order of January 5.
“Since the petitioner was visibly not armed and/or did not physically threaten the alleged contemnors, there was no occasion for the police authorities to specifically prevent the petitioner from going to Netai village,” the Court said.
The January 5 order stated that the petitioner, along with his security personnel, could visit Netai on January 7, 2022.
He was not, however, permitted to enter the village because the police had identified a potential conflict between two political groups that was being attempted to avoid.
According to the sole judge, there was no justification for the police authorities refusal to even let the petitioner set foot in the area, and it was clear that they were trying to keep him out on purpose.
The order recorded that Adhikari, and his security personnel had the right to visit any place in India, subject to legal restrictions and without violating any provision of law.
“No case of any “legal” restriction and/or violation of any law by the petitioner at the relevant juncture has been made out by the alleged contemnors,” the Court said.
In light of this, it was determined that the putative contraveners filed a show cause notice after allegedly violating the court’s explicit order both in text and spirit.