Assault Case: Supreme Court transfers investigation involving BJP’s Kabir Shankar Bose to the CBI for further inquiry.

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court transferred the investigation into the assault cases against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Kabir Shankar Bose to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The case was initially being handled by the West Bengal Police, prompting Bose to approach the Supreme Court, claiming that the charges against him were fabricated by Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Kalyan Banerji as part of a personal and political vendetta.
A Bench of Justices Pankaj Mithal and Sandeep Mehta allowed Bose’s plea, issuing a writ of mandamus to the state of West Bengal to transfer the investigation to the CBI. The Court emphasized that this would ensure a fair trial and allow justice to be served. “A writ of mandamus is issued to the state of West Bengal to hand over the investigation to CBI so that trial may commence and justice is done to the parties,” the Court said in its order.
This ruling comes after Bose was among several BJP leaders who had filed a petition with the Supreme Court in 2020, alleging that they were the targets of a “witch-hunt” by the West Bengal Police under the influence of the ruling TMC. They had sought the transfer of their cases to an independent agency, citing concerns that the state police could not conduct an unbiased investigation.
Bose, who was previously married to Kalyan Banerji’s daughter, claimed that after he filed for divorce, several cases were filed against him at Banerji’s instigation, stemming from both personal and political tensions. The charges in two cases filed in December 2020 included allegations of causing hurt, criminal intimidation, and outraging the modesty of women, all related to accusations that Bose had assaulted TMC workers and molested a woman.
Bose, however, denied the charges, asserting that on December 6, 2020, he and his security personnel were attacked by a mob of over 200 people led by Santosh Kumar Singh, alias Pappu Singh, just outside his residence. Bose claimed that, as per protocol, his security team immediately took him to a safe location. Still, the situation escalated with the building being surrounded by the attackers, who Banerji allegedly led. Bose claimed that the local police supported the mob, and Banerji exerted pressure on the police to arrest him.
Afterward, when Bose went to the police station to report the incident, he alleged that the officers made it clear that Banerji was pressuring them to arrest him. Bose further claimed that he was deliberately detained in a COVID-19 isolation ward for about four hours, which he argued was a violation of his constitutional rights under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, which guarantees the right to life and personal liberty.
In January 2021, the Supreme Court had stayed the FIRs against Bose. Today, the Court ordered that the investigation be handed over to the CBI, ensuring an independent and impartial inquiry into the matter.
Advocate Surjendu Sankar Das appeared on behalf of Kabir Shankar Bose in the case.