New Delhi. The Supreme Court on Friday reprimanded the CBI for demanding transfer of cases of violence that surfaced in West Bengal after the elections to another state. The CBI has demanded the transfer of these cases to other states in the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court directed the central agency to withdraw its petition and expressed serious objection to the statements in the petition. In which it was said that there has been bias in the hearing of the cases in all the courts.
Court angry over CBI's allegations
The division bench of Justice Abhay S Oka and Justice Augustine George Masih, hearing the case, expressed displeasure over the CBI's petition and stressed that the central agency has made serious allegations against the entire judiciary of the state. The court said, you are calling all the courts of West Bengal hostile. Judges of the district judiciary cannot protect themselves. You are saying that the cases are not being conducted properly.
According to a Live Law report, the Supreme Court in its order said, “It has been repeatedly stated by the CBI that a hostile atmosphere prevails in the courts. It is very unfortunate that the central agency has chosen to level allegations against the courts of West Bengal.”
Petition withdrawn after court's rebuke
Additional Solicitor General of India (ASG) SV Raju has withdrawn the transfer petition after being severely criticized by a bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih. As soon as the hearing of the case began, Justice Oka told the ASG, “Mr. Raju, what kind of grounds have been taken in this? Is there a hostile atmosphere in all the courts of West Bengal? These claims are such that the courts are granting bail illegally? This raises the suspicion that the entire judiciary is in a hostile environment.
Don't say that the courts are not working
During the hearing of the case, Justice Oka told the ASG that suppose we transfer the cases, then we are proving that there is a hostile atmosphere in all the courts of the state and the courts are not working. Your officers may not like a judicial officer or a particular state, but do not say that the entire judiciary is not working. Judges, district judges, civil judges and sessions judges cannot come here and defend themselves.
ASG withdrew the petition
ASG Raju admitted that there was some 'loose' drafting in the petition. And he agreed to amend it. However, the bench clearly instructed that the petition will have to be withdrawn. Let us tell you that the transfer petition was filed in December last year. In which there was a demand to transfer the cases out of West Bengal due to alleged concerns about intimidation of witnesses and judicial process. After which the Supreme Court issued notice on the petition in February this year.
