Calcutta HC adjourns case seeking Tapas Paul's arrest

The Calcutta High Court Thursday adjourned a hearing on a plea seeking criminal proceedings against Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha member Tapas Paul for his rape remarks, saying a petition has been filed in the Supreme Court.

The public interest litigation (PIL) was filed before the court of Justice Dipankar Duta seeking arrest of the Krishnanagar parliamentarian who was caught on successive tapes exhorting partymen in his constituency to kill CPI-M activists and rape their women.

"The government pleader today (Thursday) contended that a similar petition has been filed before the Supreme Court. So this court cannot continue with the hearing so long as the matter was not decided by the apex court.

"The court later directed the government pleader to furnish details about the petition in the Supreme Court and adjourned the hearing till Monday," said the petitioner's counsel Subrata Mukherjee.

The PIL in the apex court was filed by advocate Bijan Ghosh, seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) contending that West Bengal Police have not taken action against Paul who had committed a cognisable offence.

While there has been countrywide clamour for the arrest of the actor-turned politician, the Trinamool asserted that the matter ended with Paul's apology which he tendered to his party.