Kolkata, Sept. 15 -- The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday granted interim protection from arrest to Trinamool Congress MP Kirti Azad in connection with an extortion case being investigated by the CID, while making his cooperation with the probe a condition for the relief.
Justice Kaushik Chanda directed the cricketer-turned-politician to cooperate with the investigation. The court said the investigating agency could call him for questioning by giving him at least seven days' notice. The direction came after the CID informed the court that Azad had been asked to appear at Bhabani Bhaban on September 22.
The case stems from an allegation by a businessman that he was called to Azad's bungalow in Durgapur on May 21 last year, where an associate of the MP allegedly demanded Rs 15 lakh. The businessman claimed he was threatened with the closure of his cooking gas business if he did not pay.
Azad has denied the allegations and has maintained that he was not in Durgapur when the alleged incident took place. His lawyers placed his flight details before the court to support his claim.
During the hearing, his counsel also questioned the approximately 15-month delay in lodging the FIR and argued that there was no material showing that Azad had received any extortion money.
The MP has separately sought quashing of the FIR. His counsel told the court that he was ready to join the investigation and that custodial interrogation was unnecessary.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.