Calcutta HC rejects plea of Nisith for relief in attempt to murder case

Kolkata: Union minister of state for home affairs Nisith Pramanik received a setback on Thursday when a circuit bench of the Calcutta High Court rejected his prayer for relief from arrest in a case of attempt to murder against him.

A division bench of Justice Rai Chattopadhyay and Justice Surya Prakash Kesarwani of the HC Jalpaiguri circuit bench turned down the Coochbehar BJP MP's appeal.

With this, there will be no bar before the police in arresting Mr Pramanik, said Aditishankar Chakraborty, the assistant public prosecutor in the case. He added that the next hearing in the case would be on January 22 before which the police can arrest Mr Pramanik.

The union minister was not available for comments however. He had moved the HC circuit bench to challenge an arrest warrant which was earlier issued by a lower court against him in the case.

The case dates back to 2018 when a group of miscreants opened fire on a Trinamul Congress worker at Dinhata in Coochbehar. The ruling party alleged that Mr Pramanik ordered the firing. A case was initiated against the BJP MP under section 307 (attempt to murder) and 226 (unlawful return from transportation) of the Indian Penal Code.