Cal HC extends protection from coercive action to Asansol's BJP councillor

The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday extended interim protection granted to Asansol's BJP councillor Chaitali Tiwari from coercive action by the police in connection with its probe into the death of three persons in a mini-stampede.

The court had granted protection to Tiwari from any coercive measure by the Asansol (North) police station until she files an application for anticipatory bail. Justice Rajasekhar Mantha on Wednesday modified the order directing that no coercive measure will be taken till Tiwari's application for anticipatory bail, which has been filed, is decided.

Granting interim protection to Tiwari on December 22, Justice Jay Sengupta had directed Tiwari to cooperate with the investigation into the incident of December 14, in which a 14-year-old girl was among the dead, and appear for questioning before the police.

Tiwari, the wife of BJP leader Jitendra Tiwari, had moved the high court, seeking protection from any coercive action by the police against her.

The investigating officer of the case submitted before the court of Justice Mantha on Wednesday that Tiwari is participating in the investigation into the mini-stampede that occurred during a blanket distribution programme in Asansol, while alleging that she is trying to mislead.

Her counsel denied the allegation.

Tiwari's lawyer Rajdeep Majumdar had earlier submitted that she is a BJP councillor of Asansol Municipal Corporation and that proper permission had been taken for holding the blanket distribution programme among people.

He had claimed that the case drawn up against Tiwari was politically motivated.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)