The Centre on Friday told the Supreme Court that the West Bengal Police had attempted to intimidate customs officials who checked bags belonging to the “wife of a sitting MP” at the Kolkata airport on March 16, The Indian Express reported.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, who appeared for the Central Bureau of Investigation in chit fund scam cases, did not name the MP, but made the statement in a purported reference to Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee’s wife, who was allegedly carrying gold from Bangkok.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told a bench led by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi that a large contingent of West Bengal Police arrived at the Kolkata airport after customs officials stopped Rujira Naroola and Menaka Gambhir, both Thai passport holders, to check their luggage, The Times of India reported. Naroola is believed to be Banerjee’s wife.
Mehta said customs officials were threatened with a first information report if they did not let the women leave. Mehta said an FIR was registered against customs officials based on Naroola’s complaint. He also alleged that a complaint lodged by customs officials against police officers who “abused and resorted to criminal intimidation and voluntarily obstructing customs officials from performing their duties” was not being taken seriously by the police.
“There is a constitutional anarchy in West Bengal if I may say it succinctly,” Mehta said, according to News18.
The Supreme Court bench asked Mehta to file an application in this regard. “If you (customs officials) are seeking any relief, then you should file an application,” Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said. Mehta said an application would be filed soon.
Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who represents West Bengal, claimed Mehta was using the “Supreme Court as a platform to feed the press”, The Hindu reported. Mehta said he was not interested in addressing the press.
Banerjee, who is nephew of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on Sunday refuted reports that his wife was caught at the Kolkata airport carrying gold in her check-in baggage. The MP claimed the complaint against his wife, filed by the customs authorities alleging interference and obstruction, was “highly politically motivated”.
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