NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Thursday granted BJP leader Mukul Roy protection from ‘coercive action’ for 10 days to enable him to move a trial court in Kolkata for an anticipatory bail in connection with a cash recovery case there.
While granting the relief to him, Justice AK Chawla asked Roy to join the investigation in the case and be available for questioning on Friday.
With the direction, the court disposed of the BJP leader’s plea challenging the notices issued to him by Kolkata police, represented by senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, to appear before it for questioning in the case. Roy, represented by senior advocate Arvind Nigam and advocate Sameer Kumar, had claimed that the notices were issued to a West Bengal address when he was actually residing in Delhi. The claim was opposed by the Kolkata Police.
The case pertains to the recovery of 19 lakh from a person in the Burrabazar area of Kolkata on July 31, 2018, leading to his arrest along with a few others. Roy’s phone number allegedly featured in one of the arrested persons’ call list.
On July 29, a Kolkata court issued an arrest warrant against Roy in connection with the case after the Burrabazar police station moved a plea alleging he was not cooperating with the investigation.
Once a trusted aide of Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Roy fell out with the Trinamool Supremo and was eventually expelled from the party. After the move to send out feelers to like-minded outfits for a rainbow alliance in Bengal came a cropper, Roy gravitated to the BJP. He has since been a thorn in Mamata flesh, as he triggered bulk defections from Trinamool to the saffron camp.
Interim relief
The High Court granted him relief for 10 days in connection with a cash recovery case in Kolkata. However, the BJP leader was asked to join the probe in the case and be available for questioning on Friday. (With PTI inputs)