Calcutta HC declines to send Abhishek Banerjee’s plea against media coverage on probes to any vacation bench
Kolkata: A single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court, on Thursday, declined to send a petition from Abhishek Banerjee, the Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha member from Diamond Harbour, seeking restrictions on the publication of news reports concerning ongoing investigations against him by various state and central agencies, to a vacation bench for hearing.
Earlier, on October 13, the same single-judge bench of Justice Saugata Bhattacharya, while admitting the petition, declined an urgent hearing.
On Thursday, Banerjee’s counsel argued that although the scheduled hearing in the matter is in December, news regarding investigations was being published in the media almost daily.
In such a situation, Banerjee’s counsel argued that if an urgent hearing could not be possible, then the matter could be sent to any vacation bench for hearing.
However, Justice Bhattacharya immediately rejected the plea for sending the matter to a vacation bench, and also observed that the vacation benches were not “dumping grounds” where any matter would be sent for hearing.
He also observed that the matter was first referred to another single-judge bench, and then to his bench for hearing through a division bench. Hence, he observed that an urgent hearing in the matter was not possible.
Last week, Banerjee had approached another single-judge bench, presided over by Justice Krishna Rao, with the petition. Justice Rao recused himself from hearing the matter but did not dismiss it. He advised Banerjee to approach the appropriate bench, given that the petition alleged that investigating agencies were leaking information to the media.
Subsequently, the matter was referred through a division bench for hearing to Justice Bhattacharya’s bench, who, on October 13, admitted the petition but declined an urgent hearing.
Banerjee has been facing investigations in various cases by central agencies, including the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED), for some time.
Following the change of government in West Bengal after the Assembly elections earlier this year, state agencies, including the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), also initiated investigations into certain other matters involving him. CID officials have questioned the Diamond Harbour MP several times in connection with these probes.
Banerjee’s counsel has contended that details of his client’s interrogation, including the questions asked by investigators, were being leaked to the media.
The petition also raised concerns over reports of Banerjee’s foreign travels and other personal matters that, according to his counsel, were not directly connected with the cases under investigation.
The counsel argued that such reports infringed upon Banerjee’s rights to personal privacy and affected his dignity and reputation. The plea seeks to prevent the publication of reports relating to the ongoing investigations, citing concerns about the disclosure of investigative details and personal information.