New Delhi: In a major relief to the Mamata Banerjee government, Supreme Court of India on Sunday, February 19, stayed the proceedings of Privilege Committee against the West Bengal Chief Secretary and senior officials. 

The West Bengal government had moved to the Supreme Court of India against the Parliament Ethics Committee over a notice related to Sandeshkhali incident. The Parliament Ethics Committee had issued summons to senior officials in the West Bengal government including the chief secretary and Director General of Police others over a complaint of "misconduct" filed against them by BJP MP Sukanta Majumdar.

Staying proceedings on the same on Sunday, the Supreme Court issued notice to the Lok Sabha secretariat and BJP West Bengal chief Sukanta Majumdar to file response in the matter. The Supreme Court has granted four weeks time to file the response. 

A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and justices JB Pardiwla and Manoj Misra took note of the submissions of senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for the state officials, and stayed the notices issued seeking their presence at 10.30 am on Monday.

West Bengal Chief Secretary Bhagwati Prasad Gopalika and Director General of Police (DGP) Rajeev Kumar were summoned by the Lok Sabha Secretariat to appear on Monday.

Sandeshkhali has been tense with a large number of women in the locality accusing Trinamool Congress strongman Shajahan Sheikh and his supporters of "land-grab and sexually assaulting" them under coercion.