WB govt appeals against HC order on TMC MP Tapas Pal

KOLKATA: West Bengal government today moved an appeal before a division bench of Calcutta High Court challenging a single bench order that directed registration of an FIR against Trinamool Congress MP Tapas Pal for his controversial comments against women and a CID probe into it.

The state moved the appeal before a division bench comprising justices Girish Gupta and T Chakraborty citing urgency as Justice Dipankar Dutta had in his order on Monday directed that the FIR be lodged within 72 hours of the order being uploaded on the court's website.

Tapas Pal himself also moved an appeal before the court against Justice Dutta's order.

The division bench directed that the matters would be heard at 2.00 PM today.

Justice Dutta, passing his verdict on a petition seeking CID investigation into Pal's comments against women and other opposition party supporters at election rallies, had also made caustic observations about the state's law and order situation and the role of police.

He had directed that the high court would monitor the probe in view of West Bengal government's stand that the complaint did not disclose any cognisable offence.

Justice Dutta had in his order directed Inspector in-charge of Nakashipara Police Station in Nadia district to treat the July one complaint by petitioner Biplab Chowdhury, a resident of Pal's constituency Krishnagar in Nadia district, as an FIR.

The court also directed the state DGP to transfer the case to the DIG, CID, within 72 hours of the order being uploaded in the high court's website.

Justice Dutta directed the CID authorities to file a status report on progress of investigation on September one.

Pal had in an open letter tendered unconditional apology to the media and the public at-large for his unsavoury comments.