SC questions state's role as petitioner in protecting private individuals' interests

Supreme Court questioned West Bengal's involvement in a plea challenging the CBI investigation into allegations in Sandeshkhali. The state argued it was aggrieved by comments made against it in the High Court order. The Court asked why the state was involved in protecting private interests. The state's plea claims the High Court's order demoralized the state machinery and usurped the police's investigation powers. The CBI is already investigating an attack on Enforcement Directorate officials in Sandeshkhali and will now also handle the investigation into alleged crimes against women and land grabbing. The High Court directed the CBI to conduct a thorough inspection and file a report. The Supreme Court has adjourned the matter to July.

The Supreme Court on Monday wondered why the West Bengal government has come in as a petitioner before it for ''protecting the interest'' of some private individuals in the Sandeshkhali matter.

The apex court's observation came when it was hearing the state government's plea challenging the Calcutta High Court's April 10 order which directed a CBI investigation into allegations of crimes against women and land grabbing in Sandeshkhali.

''Why should the state come in as a petitioner for protecting the interest of some private individuals?'' a bench of Justices B R Gavai and Sandeep Mehta asked.

The counsel appearing for the state said it was aggrieved by some comments made in the high court order.

''There are comments about the state government and that is unfair because the state government has taken full action,'' the counsel said.

Senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, who appeared for the state, said at the outset that the matter may be taken up after a couple of week because they have some very important information which they want to file.

The bench posted the matter for hearing in July.

In its plea before the apex court, the state government has said the high court's order demoralised the entire state machinery, including the police force.

''The high court in a very generic order directed the State to provide the required support to the CBI without any guidelines, which amounts to usurping the powers of the state police to investigate any cognisable offence in the Sandeshkhali area, even if the same is not related to the allegations levelled by the PIL petitioners,'' the plea said.

The CBI is already investigating the case of attack on the Enforcement Directorate officials in Sandeshkhali and has registered three FIRs related to incidents on January 5. Noting that the investigation will be monitored by the court, the high court had directed the CBI to file a comprehensive report on the alleged illegal conversion of agricultural land into water bodies for pisciculture after conducting a thorough inspection of revenue records and physical inspection of land alleged to have been converted.

The high court had also directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate allegations of crimes against women and land grabbing in Sandeshkhali and submit a comprehensive report to it on the next date of hearing.

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