Calcutta High Court Provides Interim Protection to Ex-BJP MP

Synopsis

On April 2, the Calcutta High Court granted interim protection to Arjun Singh, ex-BJP MP from Barrackpore, against coercive police action, including arrest, related to a recent shootout. This protection is temporary and will be reviewed shortly.

Key Takeaways

Arjun Singh received interim protection from arrest.
Protection granted for only 24 hours by Justice Jay Sengupta.
Shooting incident involved Trinamool Congress worker.
Singh denies allegations, claiming self-defense.
History of violence near Singh's residence.

Kolkata, April 2 (NationPress) A single judge bench from the Calcutta High Court has, on Wednesday, provided interim protection to Arjun Singh, the former BJP Lok Sabha representative from the Barrackpore constituency in the North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, against any form of coercive police actions, including arrest, related to a shootout involving two factions of miscreants on the night of March 26.

Nevertheless, this interim relief was granted by the single judge bench led by Justice Jay Sengupta for only 24 hours. The case will be heard again on Thursday before the same bench.

During the shootout occurring near his home on March 26, a worker from the Trinamool Congress sustained injuries from a bullet.

The local leadership of the Trinamool Congress claimed that Saddam was shot by a bullet fired by Singh himself from his pistol. Following this, the police issued notices for Singh to present himself at the police station for questioning, which he did not comply with.

Subsequently, an arrest warrant was issued against him, prompting him to seek relief from the Calcutta High Court. The hearing took place on Wednesday, and by the end of proceedings, Justice Sengupta granted him interim protection from any coercive actions for a duration of 24 hours.

From the outset, Singh has denied the accusations leveled against him. He stated that he had gone with his associates to mediate a dispute between two groups of workers from a local Meghna Jute Mill when supporters of the ruling party, led by Namit Singh, arrived and initiated a confrontation with him.

“Suddenly, their associates began throwing bombs and shooting at us. I had a narrow escape,” Singh recounted.

This incident is not the first instance of violence occurring near Singh’s residence. In October of the previous year, Singh sustained injuries from a crude bomb splinter following an attack on his home, which he attributed to local Trinamool Congress activists. Singh has accused Namit Singh of orchestrating that assault.