NEW DELHI: On Friday, the Supreme Court allowed the National Investigation Agency to file its charge sheet after completing an investigation into the April 1 incident in West Bengal’s Malda district, where seven judicial officers were illegally confined by a mob.
The case began after the Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court sent a letter describing the night when the officers, including three women and a five-year-old child, were held captive for over nine hours without food or water.
Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, appearing for the NIA, submitted to the three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant that a fresh status report detailing the probe so far had been filed, and said the investigators were “neck-deep into the investigation”.
Taking note of submissions, the apex court said, “The NIA will be at liberty to file a charge sheet in a court of competent jurisdiction.”
Earlier, on April 6, the Supreme Court ordered the NIA to take over the probe into multiple FIRs related to the alleged gherao of judges under Article 142, noting serious allegations against local police and calling for an independent investigation.
The court said, “There are serious allegations against the members of the State local police.” It also clarified that NIA would investigate 12 FIRs regardless of the offences mentioned or the applicability of the NIA Act.
The investigation continues under court supervision as the National Investigation Agency prepares its charge sheet in the Malda district case involving the confinement of judicial officers during the April 1 incident.
The Supreme Court has allowed the agency to proceed without filing further status reports for now, noting that investigators remain fully engaged in gathering evidence. The case remains part of a broader probe into multiple FIRs transferred to the central agency for independent inquiry as ordered by the court.
On April 13, the bench made it clear that the security cover provided to judicial officers engaged in the SIR of electoral rolls will remain in place until the conclusion of the upcoming assembly election and cannot be withdrawn without its prior permission.
Also in top court
SC trashes Indrani’s plea to travel abroad
The Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain a fresh plea filed by Indrani Mukerjea, accused of killing her daughter Sheena Bora, seeking to travel abroad. A bench of Justices M M Sundresh and N Kotiswar Singh told advocate Mahesh Jethmalani, appearing for Mukerjea, that the SC has already asked her to move the trial court.
Proceedings against in-laws quashed
The Supreme Court on Friday quashed criminal proceedings against three in-laws of a woman who had lodged a police complaint alleging dowry-related harassment, saying the FIR does not attribute any specific act of threat or cruelty. The court said prosecution has also failed to provide any cogent evidence.
