In a notable judgment on Wednesday, the Supreme Court directed the transfer of two FIRs lodged against West Bengal BJP leader Kabir Shankar Bose to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). These FIRs stem from a 2020 incident involving a violent scuffle between Bose’s security team and Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers.
A bench comprising Justice B V Nagarathna and Justice Pankaj Mithal presided over the case, resulting from Bose’s plea for an independent investigation by the CBI, an SIT, or another similar agency, moving away from the jurisdiction of the West Bengal Police. The justices issued a writ of mandamus requiring the West Bengal Police to hand over all investigation documents and related records to the CBI. This transfer aims to ensure a thorough investigation and the potential commencement of a trial, thereby serving justice to all involved parties.
The clash reportedly occurred on December 6, 2020, when Bose, protected by CISF personnel, faced aggressive attacks and sloganeering led by Santosh Kumar Singh alias Pappu Singh outside his residence in Serampore, West Bengal. Despite Bose’s immediate removal from the scene by CISF as part of their protocol, the conflict escalated. Bose’s plea highlighted that the building was besieged until the early hours by over 200 TMC supporters, allegedly led by Kalyan Banerji, the local MP, with the active support of state police forces.
