On May 17, the Calcutta High Court stayed the first information report (FIR) lodged by the West Bengal police against former judge and now BJP leader Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay, who was accused of allegedly assaulting protesting teachers.
Justice Tirthankar Ghosh considered the nature of the allegations made in the complaint letter addressed to the Inspector-in-charge of Tamluk police station. He noted that, regarding Gangopadhyay, the FIR’s allegations were of abetment.
The judge also referenced a recent Supreme Court order granting interim bail to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. The High Court observed that the Supreme Court, in Kejriwal’s case, had considered the general elections to the Lok Sabha, involving the participation of 650-700 million voters to elect the government for the next five years.
“Considering the Supreme Court’s view in Arvind Kejriwal’s case and the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Tamluk, Purba Medinipur’s observations regarding the case diary, and the fact that Gangopadhyay is a contesting candidate from 30-Tamluk Parliamentary Constituency, I believe the Supreme Court’s observations in Arvind Kejriwal’s case apply here,” Justice Ghosh stated.
With these observations, the single judge stayed the FIR and other proceedings against Gangopadhyay and the BJP general secretary of the Tamluk constituency until June 14. The State was ordered to file its affidavit opposing the plea by June 12, when the matter would be next heard.
The State police had lodged the FIR against Gangopadhyay for allegedly assaulting dismissed school employees at their protest site. Gangopadhyay was booked for attempted murder and other offences under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) after a complaint by certain teaching and non-teaching staff members who lost their jobs following a ruling from the Calcutta High Court in the school jobs for cash scam case.
The altercation reportedly occurred on May 4 when Gangopadhyay, accompanied by party colleague Suvendu Adhikari, led a rally before submitting his nomination papers for the Tamluk Lok Sabha seat. During the rally, certain BJP supporters allegedly
