Kolkata, Sep 16 (IANS): The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday dismissed a public interest litigation (PIL) filed against former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over her Bangladesh-related comments made at a public meeting here earlier this year.
In the previous hearing on September 1, the High Court sought a report from the state government on the comments made by the former Chief Minister that sparked the controversy. The report, submitted to it on Wednesday, held that her comments did not have any element of a cognisable offence.
Thereafter, a division bench headed by the new Chief Justice Ravindra Vithalrao Ghuge dismissed the PIL filed by an individual named Avratanu Sarkar.
After the Assembly polls earlier this year, Banerjee made a comment relating to neighbouring Bangladesh at a public meeting at Esplanade in central Kolkata on June 2. While the Trinamool Congress supremo did not directly name anyone, many believed that she was referring to the murder of young Bangladeshi leader Osman Hadi.
Banerjee said that a murderer from Bangladesh, who came to West Bengal via Meghalaya, was arrested by the state police’s Special Task Force (STF) when she was the Chief Minister.
“After that, the Union Home Minister himself called me and gave credit. I did not say anything on this for so long. I did not open my mouth in the matter. Now that the oppression against us has reached its limit. But I am not mentioning names out of courtesy. The people of Bangladesh will become agitated. I don’t want that. I love the country,” she had said.
At that time, many people present at the public meeting demanded that Banerjee should reveal the name, but she refused, contending that she would not reveal the name for the sake of national interest.
Sarkar had filed the PIL subsequently seeking action, but the High Court raised questions about the case during the hearing on September 1. The then acting Chief Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty questioned whether the court should hear anything said by anyone. He also questioned the admissibility of the PIL.
