Trinamool MLA, two councillors granted anticipatory bail in Bengal post-poll violence case

Kolkata, August 21 (IANS) The Calcutta High Court has granted anticipatory bail to Beleghata Trinamool Congress MLA Paresh Pal and two Councillors Papiya Ghosh and Swapan Samaddar in the murder case of BJP worker Abhijit Sarkar.

Justice Joy Sengupta also said in the court order that if the Trinamoool Congress leaders are arrested on the basis of the summons sent by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), they will be granted bail on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh.

The judge has imposed several conditions on their bail.

On Thursday, the court made it clear that none of the three people will be able to make any provocative comments.

The area of BJP worker Abhijit Sarkar's house in Sheetalala Lane near Kankurgachi area in Kolkata cannot be entered by them.

In addition, they will not be able to travel outside the country without the permission of the court.

At the same time, they will have to be present during the trial of the lower court.

BJP worker Abhijit Sarkar was killed in the post-poll violence following declaration of 2021 West Bengal Assembly election results.

Both Samaddar and Ghosh, along with Pal, were named as accused in CBI's fresh supplementary charge sheet on post-poll violence.

They had moved the Calcutta High Court, seeking anticipatory bail.

While hearing the case on Thursday, Justice Joy Sengupta observed that the CBI has filed a supplementary charge sheet four years after the murder of the BJP worker. In this connection, there is no evidence against the three accused Trinamool Congress leaders.

The accused have fully cooperated in the investigation.

Therefore, the court granted them anticipatory bail.

"All three have been granted anticipatory bail by the court today. But the court has imposed certain conditions. They cannot enter the area of the victim's residence. They cannot leave this country without court's permission," said lawyer Imtiyaz Ahmed.

--IANS

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