SC stays arrest warrant of BJP leader Bharati Ghosh
Mar 09, 2021
New Delhi [India], March 9 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed the arrest warrant issued against BJP leader and former IPS officer Bharati Ghosh in connection with the 2019 Lok Sabha polls violence case.
"We grant interim protection till May 10, 2021," the apex court said in its order. The court also said no further coercive action be taken against Ghosh in the case.
The top court had earlier granted protection from arrest in all the cases registered against Ghosh.
On Monday, Ghosh, who has been fielded by the BJP for the assembly polls in West Bengal from the Debra constituency of West Midnapore district, had moved the Supreme Court seeking a stay of the arrest warrant issued against her on February 4, 2021, registered at the Keshpur Police Station in connection with the 2019 Lok Sabha polls violence case.
Ghosh claimed in her plea that she joined the BJP before the last Lok Sabha elections and 10 first information reports (FIRs) were registered by the West Bengal police against her "in false cases". She said four more FIRs were filed against her after the elections.
She also sought a direction to the respondents, particularly the Union of India (UOI), to call for reports of the Central Industrialist Security Force (CISF) submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) regarding the alleged incident of May 12, 2019.
Ghosh also sought a direction to the West Bengal government to furnish the complete list of cases/FIRs registered by them, directly or indirectly, against her.
The petitioner sought directions for the West Bengal government to give the petitioner prior notice, at least 10 clear days in advance, in the event of their registering a new/fresh case/FIR against her.
She is contesting the upcoming state elections from Derba against TMC candidate Humayun Kabir.
