Kolkata, Nov. 3 -- The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Calcutta High Court to consider Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee's plea for interim protection against media reports concerning investigations and cases involving him, after he alleged that the publication of investigation-related information was prejudicing his rights and creating a media trial.
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, and comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana, permitted Banerjee to approach the High Court immediately after it reopens on November 16 and requested the court to consider his application for interim relief.
Banerjee had moved the apex court alleging that the High Court had not taken up his writ petition on an urgent basis. Senior advocate Shoeb Alam, appearing for the TMC MP, submitted that the petition had been filed in September but was not heard as the matter was considered outside the roster of the bench concerned.
Alam told the Supreme Court that he had mentioned the matter before the High Court on three occasions, but reports concerning his client continued to appear in the media almost daily. He argued that such coverage undermined the presumption of innocence and amounted to a media trial.
The senior advocate said Banerjee was seeking directions for the removal of the reports and that the necessary proceedings had already been initiated before the High Court. He expressed willingness to seek an urgent hearing once the court reopens.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.