Calcutta High Court’s single-judge bench of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay, on Wednesday, ordered the transfer of a special CBI court judge for intervening in a High Court order.
Justice Gangopadhyay has taken exception to an earlier order of the special CBI court judge, Arpan Chattopadhyay for involving Kolkata Police in the central agency investigation on the allegation by expelled youth Trinamool Congress leader Kuntal Ghosh accusing the central agencies of putting pressure on him to name Trinamool Congress’ national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee in the multi-crore cash-for-school job case in West Bengal.
Justice Gangopadhyay observed that when the central agency probe in the matter was being conducted following an order of the Calcutta High Court, the judge of the special CBI court had no authority to intervene in that matter.
Justice Gangopadhyay also directed the authorities concerned to complete the process of transfer of the judge of the special CBI court in Kolkata by October 4.
On Wednesday, the chief of CBI’s special investigation team probing the school job case in West Bengal, Ashwini Senvi appeared in front of Justice Gangopadhyay’s bench and accused the local police administration of harassing the central agency sleuths and thus creating hindrances in the process of smooth investigation.
Reacting to Senvi’s complaints, Justice Gangopadhyay observed that the task of Kolkata Police and West Bengal Police are to maintain law and order situation in the state and under no circumstance they can intervene in a central agency probe which has been ordered by the Calcutta High Court.
“I do not want to comment on the level of efficiency of Kolkata Police and State Police. But they cannot intervene in an investigation by the central agency, which is being conducted following a high court order. The members of the SIT of CBI should not be touched at all. There should be no compromise on the issue of corruption,” Justice Gangopadhyay observed.
With regards to the transfer of the special CBI court judge, Justice Gangopadhyay also summoned the state law minister Malay Ghatak within the next 30 minutes. The minister arrived and assured Justice Gangopadhyay that he will clear the file regarding the transfer of the same judge at the earliest.
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