Contempt notices were also issued to the Mamata government. The court asked the government to file an affidavit in two weeks as to why they shall not be liable for contempt.
New Delhi: In a stern message, the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday asked the West Bengal government to immediately hand over Shahjahan Sheikh to the CBI by 4 pm today. Shiekh is the prime accused in the Sandeshkhali case. Contempt notices were also issued to the Mamata government. The court asked the government to file an affidavit in two weeks as to why they shall not be liable for contempt.
The ED moved a contempt petition before a division bench presided by Justice Harish Tandon against the state government claiming that it did not implement Tuesday’s orders of a division bench presided by Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam.
The court noted that though the state pleaded that it has filed before the Supreme Court an SLP challenging Tuesday’s judgement, there is no interim stay granted on the implementation of the orders till the time it was passing its order.
Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, appearing for ED, submitted that pendency of an SLP is not a stay unless there is an express order to that effect.
He claimed that the state was trying to deny custody of Sheikh to the CBI.
ED officials were attacked and injured by a mob when they went to search the premises of Sheikh at Sandeshkhali on January 5 in connection with a ration scam probe.
Sheikh was arrested by the West Bengal police on February 29 in connection with the attack on ED officials, following which the state government handed over the case to the state CID.
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