Calcutta High Court Grants Interim Relief to TMC Candidate Jahangir Khan Ahead of Falta Repoll

The Calcutta High Court on Monday granted interim relief to Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Jahangir Khan, directing law enforcement agencies to take no coercive action against him until May 26. The protection extends across five separate criminal cases that have been registered against him in quick succession.

The single-judge bench of Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya issued the order after Khan, who is contesting the upcoming Falta Assembly constituency re-poll, moved the court seeking protection and the disclosure of all First Information Reports (FIRs) filed against him. During the proceedings, the court flagged the "striking" timeline of the litigation, noting that all five criminal cases were filed against Khan after May 4, following the declaration of the main election results.  
Khan’s counsel argued that his client was being systematically targeted with a barrage of new criminal cases to obstruct his ability to campaign effectively before the Falta re-poll scheduled for May 21. While granting the temporary shield against arrest or coercive measures so Khan can participate in the election process, the High Court clarified that he must fully cooperate with the ongoing investigations.

The legal cases against Jahangir Khan include serious allegations of booth capturing and voter intimidation in the Falta Assembly constituency during the initial phase of voting. Representatives for the state argued in court that these criminal actions were tied to the widespread electoral malpractices that initially forced the Election Commission to throw out the April results and call for a fresh re-poll. While one of the newly disclosed cases reportedly dates back to an incident in 2017, the rest are freshly registered First Information Reports (FIRs) stemming directly from the recent, highly contested election period.

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