West Bengal Post-Poll Violence: Supreme Court Pulls Up CBI For Seeking Transfer Of Cases

A bench led by Justice Abhay S Oka said that the CBI cannot cast aspersions on the entire judiciary in West Bengal. Additional solicitor general (ASG) SV Raju, representing the CBI, refuted the charge.

New Delhi:The Supreme Court on Friday minced no words in strongly criticising the CBI on its plea seeking transfer of cases relating to the 2021 post-poll violence cases outside West Bengal.

A bench led by Justice Abhay S Oka said that the central agency cannot cast aspersions on the entire judiciary in West Bengal. Additional solicitor general (ASG) SV Raju, representing the CBI, submitted before the bench that it is not a matter of cast aspersions on the judiciary, however it is a matter of loose drafting of the petition. The apex court expressed its discontent that the CBI has chosen to cast aspersions on courts in West Bengal.

"How can you cast aspersions on the entire judiciary? You are showing as if there is a hostile environment in the whole West Bengal," said the bench, also comprising Pankaj Mithal.

The bench asked the ASG to look at the grounds taken in the petition and asked, “all courts in West Bengal have a hostile environment?

The bench said suppose the court transfers all the matters then it would certify that there is a hostile atmosphere in the state courts, and the courts are not functioning.

The bench said the district judges and the session judges cannot come to the apex court to defend themselves. The agency’s counsel requested to allow him to withdraw the petition. Concluding the hearing, the bench said all objections to the proposed transfer are expressly kept open. The apex court was hearing a transfer petition by CBI seeking to transfer cases outside West Bengal due to alleged concerns of witness intimidation.