The Supreme Court on Monday granted a reprieve to West Bengal Chief Secretary and Director General of Police by staying the notices issued by the Lok Sabha Committee of Privileges in connection with a complaint filed by BJP MP Sukanta Majumdar.
Majumdar, who reportedly sustained injuries in a clash with police last week, accused the state officials of "misconduct" during the violence-hit Sandeshkhali incident.
The Lok Sabha panel subsequently summoned the Chief Secretary, DGP, and other officials to appear before them on Monday.
However, a bench led by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud took note of arguments presented by Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Singhvi, representing the state officials, and issued a stay order on the summons.
Despite the stay, the counsel for the Lok Sabha panel voiced their opposition, emphasizing that this was merely the first meeting of the committee and not an accusation against the officials.
They argued statting, “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 stay order by the Supreme Court has temporarily shielded the West Bengal officials from appearing before the Lok Sabha panel.
West Bengal Chief Secretary Bhagwati Prasad Gopalika and Director General of Police (DGP) Rajeev Kumar were summoned by the Lok Sabha Secretariat to appear on Monday.
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 aides.
Sandeshkhali has been tense with a large number of women in the locality accusing Trinamool Congress strongman Shajahan Sheikh and his supporters of "land-grab and sexually assaulting" them under coercion.
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