The Supreme Court on Wednesday transferred the investigation of two criminal cases against West Bengal BJP leader Kabir Shankar Bose from the state police to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
The bench, comprising Justices BV Nagarathna and Pankaj Mithal, directed the CBI to take over the probe immediately and proceed in accordance with the law.
Justice Mithal delivered the operative part of the judgment, with the complete text expected later in the day. The cases, registered in December 2020, involve allegations of assault and molestation of Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers.
Bose had petitioned the Supreme Court, asserting that the charges were fabricated and politically motivated, orchestrated by his father-in-law, Kalyan Banerjee, a senior TMC leader and Member of Parliament. The animosity, according to Bose, stemmed from his decision to file for annulment of his marriage with Banerjee’s daughter in 2015 and subsequently join the BJP.
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The petition highlighted an incident on December 6, 2020, when Bose’s car was attacked, and he was allegedly restrained from leaving his residence. FIRs lodged in connection with the event accused Bose of injuring TMC workers and molesting a woman. However, Bose claimed he was not present at the scene during the alleged incident.
This claim was substantiated by a “movement register” provided by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which maintains records of all movements of its protectees.
In January 2021, the Supreme Court had stayed the criminal proceedings against Bose after the CISF submitted a report confirming that he was not at the location of the alleged offenses.
The Court’s decision to transfer the investigation to the CBI reflects its resolve to ensure a more independent and impartial investigation into the matter.
Senior counsel Mahesh Jethmalani and advocate Surjendu Sankar Das appeared for Bose in the top court.