The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday granted interim protection to All India Trinamool Congress General Secretary and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee, ordering that no coercive action be taken against him in 16 FIRs registered across West Bengal until August 31. The order was passed by a single-judge bench of Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya while hearing Banerjee's petition seeking relief from multiple cases filed following the state assembly election results. Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju, appearing for the state, opposed the application, but the court ruled in favor of interim protection and scheduled the next hearing for August 25.
The 16 FIRs lodged across various police stations involve allegations ranging from financial irregularities and forged MLA signatures to incidents related to Sevashray and playing DJs. Among the complainants is Abhijit Das alias Bobby, who contested against Banerjee in the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha seat. Justice Bhattacharyya noted during the proceedings that denying interim protection would render previous court relief ineffective, maintaining restraint on coercive action while legal proceedings continue.
In a separate development on Monday, the Supreme Court granted relief to Abhishek Banerjee by permitting him to travel abroad for three weeks to receive medical treatment for his eye. The top court stipulated that he may also seek treatment in other parts of the country if required. However, per earlier Calcutta High Court directions, Banerjee must undergo a routine health check-up at SSKM Hospital before proceeding with his travel plans.