Mamata Banerjee Cannot Put Democracy in Peril by Obstructing Investigations, Says Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has deprecated the alleged “gherao” and the keeping hostage of the Judicial Officers deputed in the West Bengal Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.

Terming the current socio-political realities in the election-laden State, “an extra-ordinary situation”, a bench of Justices P.K. Mishra and N.V. Anjaria told the counsels arguing on behalf of the West Bengal administration which includes the CM Mamata Banerjee and other senior officials, that they may argue on abstract legal principles but the Court cannot shut its eye over the practical realities going on in the State.

“This is an extraordinary situation. Before the other Bench (referring to the gherao in the SIR case), we have seen that several judicial officers have been kept hostage. We cannot shut our eyes to realities. You may argue abstract legal principles, but we cannot lose sight of the practical situation occurring in the State”, the Court remarked.

During the hearing, the Court also termed the alleged interference of CM Mamata Banerjee in the midst of an investigation being carried out by a Central agency and stated the alleged act committed by a CM of a State has put democracy in jeopardy.

“This is not a dispute between the state and the union. We never thought that in this country, a day will come where a sitting CM will walk into the office where some investigating agency is.

The Chief Minister of any state cannot walk in in the midst of an investigation, put the democracy in peril, and then say that ‘don’t convert this into a dispute between the state and the union’. This is Per se an act committed by an individual who happens to be the chief minister keeping the whole democracy in jeopardy” the Court remarked.

The Court has listed the matter for tomorrow.
 

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