Kolkata, May 21: The Kolkata High Court has granted interim relief from arrest to Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Paresh Ram Das, representing the Canning West assembly seat in South 24 Parganas district. The MLA sought protection from arrest in light of multiple criminal cases filed against him.
Justice Sougata Bhattacharya ordered on Thursday that the police cannot take any harsh action against the MLA until June 30. However, the court clarified that the ongoing investigation into the cases against him will continue.
The court instructed Paresh Ram Das to fully cooperate with the police during the investigation. Should he fail to do so, the state government may bring this issue to the court’s attention, as stated in the court’s order.
The state government claimed in court that there are serious allegations against the TMC leader, including land grabbing in the Canning area. In response, MLA Paresh Ram Das argued that false cases are being filed against him due to political vendetta.
During the hearing, the court noted that the FIRs against the MLA were filed on May 16, after a political shift in the state. One of these FIRs is related to an incident from last April, while others stem from events in 2021.
After hearing arguments from both sides, the High Court remarked that the FIRs against the MLA are still in the preliminary stages, and it is not in a position to make any hasty final decisions. Considering all aspects, the court has currently provided relief to the MLA.
It is noteworthy that following the assembly elections in West Bengal, there has been an intensified crackdown on illegal and criminal activities by the newly formed BJP government. Police are actively taking action against anti-social elements and TMC leaders facing legal accusations.
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