SC grants protection from arrest to WB BJP leader in criminal case

The Supreme Court Monday restrained the West Bengal Police from taking any coercive action for seven days against a state BJP leader in a criminal case.

A vacation bench comprising Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Aniruddha Bose, however, refused to entertain the petition of West Bengal BJP treasurer Sawar Dhananiya against the registration of the criminal case and asked him to approach the local court with his plea.

The bench took note of the submission of senior advocate Ranjit Kumar, appearing for Dhananiya, that a case has been lodged against him due to political vendetta and, moreover, he was constrained to approach the apex court as the lawyers in the state were on strike.

It granted protection from arrest to Dhananiya for seven days starting from Monday and asked him to approach the court in the state in the meantime.

Earlier, the bench had agreed to hear the plea in the backdrop of a submission that the lawyers of the Calcutta High Court and the trial Court were on strike.

"We want to ascertain the real position about the functioning of the courts," the bench had said while posting the plea for hearing on Monday.