Calcutta HC upholds CID probe, filing of FIR against Tapas Paul

In a setback to the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal, the Calcutta High Court Thursday directed filing of an first information report and a CID probe into Trinamool Congress MP Tapas Paul's kill and rape remarks.

Rejecting the appeals by Paul and the state government, the court Justice Nishita Mhatre upheld the single bench of Justice Dipankar Datta's order, directing a CID probe against the actor-turned-politician for publicly exhorting his party workers to kill CPI-M activists and unleash his boys to rape their women.

Justice Mhatre, heard the appeals afresh after a division bench of Justice Girish Chandra Gupta and Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty delivered a split verdict.

Justice Mhatre, however, has clarified the probe by the Criminal Investigation Department will not be monitored by the court.

Thursday's order comes a day after a bench of High Court directed a CBI probe into the 2013 murder of an independent panchayat member in Birbhum district.

Paul representing Krishnanagar constituency in Nadia district had created a nationwide outrage after he was caught on successive tapes exhorting party men to kill CPI-M activists and threatening to unleash his boys to rape their women.