April 29th 2024.
The Supreme Court of India found itself questioning the involvement of the West Bengal government in a current legal dispute. The state government had filed a petition on behalf of private individuals in the Sandeshkhali case, which caused the court to wonder about their motives. During the hearing, the bench, consisting of Justices BR Gavai and Sandeep Mehta, asked the state government why they were intervening on behalf of private individuals. The counsel representing the state explained that the government was aggrieved by certain comments made in the Calcutta High Court's order. They believed that these comments were unjust because the state had already taken necessary actions in the matter.
The state's senior advocate, Abhishek Singhvi, informed the court that they needed some time to submit crucial information. As a result, the bench postponed the hearing to July. The state government had filed a plea in the apex court, claiming that the high court's order had demoralized the entire state machinery, including the police force. They argued that the high court had overstepped its boundaries by directing the state to support the CBI without providing any guidelines. This, in turn, took away the state police's authority to investigate any offenses in the Sandeshkhali area, even if they were unrelated to the allegations made by the petitioners.
The CBI was already investigating a case related to the attack on Enforcement Directorate officials in Sandeshkhali and had registered three FIRs in January. The high court had ordered the CBI to conduct a thorough inspection of revenue records and physical inspection of the land in question and submit a comprehensive report on the alleged illegal conversion of agricultural land into water bodies for pisciculture. The court also directed the CBI to look into allegations of crimes against women and land grabbing in Sandeshkhali and submit a detailed report on the next date of hearing.
In conclusion, the Supreme Court had expressed its doubts about the state government's involvement in the matter and postponed the hearing to allow the state to submit crucial information. The state government had filed a plea claiming that the high court's order had demoralized the state machinery and taken away the state police's power to investigate offenses in the area. The CBI was already investigating a related case and was directed by the high court to conduct a thorough inspection and submit a detailed report.
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