SC orders ex-cop Bharati Ghosh questioning by Bengal CID

The Supreme Court on Friday ordered former IPS officer Bharati Ghosh to appear for questioning before the West Bengal CID on May 14, two days after polling takes place in Ghatal Lok Sabha seat in Midnapore district from where she is contesting the Lok Sabha elections as a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate.

The bench of Justice Ashok Bhushan and Justice K.M. Joseph also gave the West Bengal government the liberty to move the vacation bench in case of any non-cooperation by the former IPS officer of the West Bengal cadre.

Once considered close to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Ghosh joined the BJP after a falling out with her. The West Bengal Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is probing an extortion case against her.

The West Bengal government has told the court that there were four categories of cases against the former officer rooted in certain acts of hers in the wake of demonetisation, possession of disproportionate assets and recovery of cash to the tune of Rs 2 crore among others.

The bench on Friday said the state government's plea seeking vacation of the apex court's two "ex-parte" orders -- restraining it from taking any coercive action against Ghosh and seeking to bar her from entering the state -- would be taken up for hearing in July, when the top court re-opens after the summer break.

The top court's 7-week long summer break starts May 13.

The West Bengal government sought to bar the former IPS officer from entering the state contending that she may tamper with evidence.

In the last hearing of the case on April 16, the court clarified that its order stalling any coercive action against Ghosh did not mean that the police can't investigate the cases against her and assured that the "former top cop would co-operate with the investigation".

--IANS

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