The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed an appeal against the Calcutta High Court order that had earlier stayed criminal proceedings launched by the West Bengal government against BJP MLA and leader of opposition Suvendu Adhikari.
An LPA (letter patent appeal) was submitted before the Supreme Court by Advocate Menaka Guruswamy, on behalf of the State of Bengal after the Calcutta HC refused to interfere with a single bench order in favour of Adhikari in December 2021.
“We will not entertain this for the simple reason that the order of the single judge was challenged under Article 136 before us. We have dealt with the challenge on merits. Where is the question of going in an LPA when you have argued everything before us in SLP?…” observed justice DY Chandrachud. Earlier Justice Rajasekhar Mantha had issued a stay order on proceedings initiated against Adhikari when a hoard of cases was registered against him after he left the TMC. Suvendu Adhikari was granted protection from police arrest by Calcutta High Court which was affirmed by the Supreme Court on December 13, 2021.
The BJP leader has been on the target of the TMC-led government and the state after he parted ways with Mamata Banerjee to join the BJP. His convoy was attacked during his campaign by Trinamool party workers. After his win over Mamata in Nandigram, post-poll violence had erupted with an attack on his car in Haldia. After a prolonged threat to his life, The Calcutta HC had assured that the security of the BJP MLA lies on the shoulders of the state while asking the state government to reinstate his security cover.
