BJP's Bharati Ghosh was once considered close to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Bannerjee (File Photo)
Former Indian Police Service officer and BJP leader Bharati Ghosh approached the Supreme Court on Friday seeking transfer of all the cases registered against her by the West Bengal police to an independent agency.
Ms Ghosh has alleged that after she joined the BJP, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, 10 First Information Reports or FIRs were registered against her in false cases and after the elections, four more FIRs were lodged.
The West Bengal government opposed her plea and said that Supreme Court can't interfere with the matter and it would be appropriate if Ms Ghosh's plea is transferred to the High Court.
A bench of Justices Ashok Bhushan and Navin Sinha said that the matter requires hearing and listed it for August 28.
Senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani, appearing for Ms Ghosh, said that false cases were lodged against her and she wants that all the cases be transferred to an independent agency.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the West Bengal government opposed the plea and said that top court can't interfere in the matter and it would be appropriate if the plea of Ms Ghosh was transferred to the high court.
The bench said it will hear the matter at length and the interim protection against arrest granted to her by the top court on February 19, will continue till further orders.
Ms Ghosh, once considered close to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Bannerjee, had earlier claimed that the police has registered 10 FIRs against her so far, including a case of alleged extortion and illegal exchange of banned notes for gold.
The top court had said that no coercive action be taken against her till further orders and listed the matter for hearing after three weeks.
West Bengal government had claimed that there were concrete evidences against Ms Ghosh by which it can be established that she was involved in cases of extortion and illegal exchange of banned notes for gold.
It had said that there are transcripts of taped conversation which shows the complicity of Ms Ghosh and her personal security officer in the crime.
On October 1 last year, the court had granted her protection from arrest in a case of alleged extortion and illegal exchange of banned notes for gold.
Ms Ghosh had claimed that seven FIRs were lodged against her in relation to an incident which dates back to 2016 in which allegedly gold was taken for currency.
On February 4, Ms Ghosh had joined the BJP in the presence of Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and senior party leader Kailash Vijayvargiya alleging that "thugocracy" has replaced democracy in the West Bengal.
Ms Ghosh, who was the West Midnapore Superintendent of Police for more than six years, was transferred as commandant of the third battalion of the state armed police on December 26, 2017. She resigned from service two days later.
She had been awarded a service medal on August 15, 2014.
Ms Ghosh was transferred twice, once by the Election Commission before the 2014 Lok Sabha polls and the second time by the state itself before the 2016 Assembly elections.
She was, however, reinstated as West Midnapore SP as soon as the elections got over on both occasions.
An arrest warrant was issued against Ms Ghosh in February, 2018 in connection with an extortion case registered at Daspur police station in West Midnapore district, following her resignation.
The CID, probing cases relating to alleged extortion and misconduct against Ms Ghosh, had also conducted raids at various properties, including a house in Kolkata that belongs to her husband MAV Raju.
A few police officers of inspector and sub-inspector ranks have been arrested by the CID in connection with the probe.