TMC’s Abhishek gives voice sample to magistrate
Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee on Wednesday provided his voice sample to a magistrate at the Bidhannagar SDJM court near here in connection with an investigation into his alleged intimidatory speech during the West Bengal assembly election campaign.
The Calcutta High Court had, on July 10, directed Banerjee to appear before the magistrate at noon on July 15 for the purpose.
Banerjee was at the court for nearly one-and-a-half hours for providing the voice sample to the magistrate, for which an expert was present.
He did not respond to queries from journalists present at the venue and left the court premises soon after the process concluded.
The TMC MP had not appeared before the magistrate on two earlier dates, ordered by the Bidhannagar court, for giving his voice sample on a prayer by the investigating agency.
A huge posse of police personnel was deployed in and around the Bidhannagar court premises in Salt Lake to ensure that no untoward incident occurs during Banerjee’s appearance.
On a plea by his lawyer, the high court directed the police authorities to ensure that the Diamond Harbour MP is not subjected to hurling of eggs or any other harassment when he appears before the jurisdictional court or the investigating agency.
Banerjee was heckled when he visited a deceased party supporter’s house at Sonarpur on May 30.
The high court had on July 10 expressed displeasure at the TMC MP for “not cooperating” with the investigation into the alleged intimidatory speech he made during the West Bengal assembly poll campaign.
Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya had “dismissed as withdrawn” a criminal revisional application of Banerjee challenging the Bidhananagar court’s direction for him to give his voice sample in connection with the probe.
The high court directed Banerjee to comply with its May 21 order that granted protection from coercive action till July 31 in the intimidatory speech case, contingent on his cooperation with the investigation.
The TMC MP has petitioned the high court to quash the FIR regarding his alleged intimidatory comments against a rival party’s leaders and workers at a public meeting before the second phase of the West Bengal assembly polls, held on April 29.
