Paul's rape remarks: Mamata to appeal against CID probe order

Chandrima Bhattacharya said 'Paul has already tendered a public apology so initiating criminal proceeding against him is uncalled for'

West Bengal's Trinamool Congress government will be appealing against a Calcutta High Court order directing a CID probe into the rape and violence remarks by party MP Tapas Paul, a state minister said Tuesday.

"Paul has already tendered a public apology and we feel initiating criminal proceeding against him is uncalled for. So the government will be filing an appeal before a division bench Wednesday," state Law Minister Chandrima Bhattacharya told IANS.

Hearing a petition seeking criminal proceedings against Paul, Justice Dipankar Datta Monday had directed the CID to probe the matter and submit a report to the court by Sep 1.

The actor-turned-politician was caught on successive tapes asking his party activists in his constituency in Nadia district to prove themselves by killing Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) activists even as he himself asserted that he would gun down his rivals and let loose his "boys" to rape the Marxist women.

Directing the court monitored probe, Justice Datta had made scathing remarks against Paul and expressed regret over the "apathy and indifference of the police".

"Paul's speech is outrageous and surpasses all bounds of civility. Paul by his bizarre act has shown an evil tendency to become a law unto himself. If this tendency is not nipped in the bud, the situation would take a turn for the worse," Justice Datta said in the 43 page order.

Notwithstanding his party going in appeal, Trinamool legislator and former state minister Noor-e Alam Chowdhury welcomed the court's verdict.

"Elected representatives have a responsibility and such remarks are totally uncalled for. I welcome the court's verdict as it will instil a sense of responsibility among the legislators," Chowdhury told media persons.

Chowdhury's wife and Trinamool MP from Burdwan-Durgapur Mumtaz Sanghamita also said Paul's remarks were uncalled for.

"I don't know under what circumstances he made the remarks but then such remarks cannot be justified in any circumstances. They are unwarranted and uncalled for," she said.