In yet another judicial embarrassment for Trinamool Congress second-in-command Abhishek Banerjee, the Supreme Court on Friday refused to entertain his plea seeking transfer of a case related to the infamous recruitment scam from the Court of Justice Amrita Sinha of Calcutta High Court. The Court also turned down his request for a gag order on media coverage of the Court proceedings so as to save him “defamation.”
The possible role of Banerjee --- who is also the nephew of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee --- in the multi-tiered school level recruitment scam is being investigated by the Enforcement Department.
Referring to certain observations “unnecessarily made” by Justice Sinha’s Bench the TMC leader’s counsel said that such observations were being reported on front pages of newspapers causing “his reputation is being torn to shreds.”
In view of his argument, Banerjee’s counsel requested the Apex Court to issue a gag order restraining live-streaming of the court proceedings as if possible transferring the case to some other Bench.
Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti, however, refused to issue the gag order directing the appellant to move the Division Bench of the High Court if they would prefer to do so.
Banerjee has been uncomfortable with certain media reports that quoted Justice Sinha’s Obiter Dicta (passing comments) asking the source of the TMC leader’s source of income. Referring to the 5,000-page property documents submitted by Banerjee to the ED the Judge had said that prima facie there was a coincidence between the quantum jump in his assets from 2014 which incidentally was the year when recruitment scam started. The Judge had directed the ED to look into such facts of the matter.
As the Judge’s remarks were boldly reported in the leading media, Banerjee moved the Apex Court to restrain the media-streaming and publication of the Court proceedings. As also transfer the hearing to some other Court.
Reacting to the Supreme Court order senior counsel and CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya said, “they want to control the judges but they don’t know that the Judges act according to the law and when they get adverse orders they make adverse comments against the judges … now we will ask him (Banerjee) and his party to give a list of judges of his choice … we will defeat them there also.”
BJP state spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said “both Congress and the TMC will first commit big scams and then stop investigation … this is an ideal case where they are trying to hide behind law … but they will not be able to do so … today’s order has once again proved that we are moving in the right direction.”
