Trinamool Congress leader SK Supiyan, who was the election agent of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Nandigram in the 2021 Assembly elections, has been running away from the investigation in the murder case of a BJP worker, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) told the Supreme Court today.
Additional Solicitor General Aman Lekhi, appearing for the CBI, told a bench of Justices L Nageswara Rao and Abhay S Oka that there is no perversity in the Calcutta High Court order which rejected Supiyan's anticipatory bail plea to warrant interference.
"The appellant has been running away from the investigation even after being served several notices to appear before the investigation authorities. He has not cooperated with the investigation. As far as the suggestion of political interference is concerned, that is negated, there is no entitlement by the conduct of the appellant as there is evasion," Aman Lekhi said.
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Supiyan, submitted that his client's name was not mentioned either in the FIR registered by the authorities or the charge sheet filed in the case.
He stated that the only witness, who named Supiyan, is a planted witness that shows that the case was purely political and there was complete malafide on the part of authorities.
Senior advocate PS Patwalia, appearing for the wife of the killed BJP worker, submitted that Supiyan, being the election agent of the Chief Minister, is very powerful, and therefore, the extraordinary concession of anticipatory bail in a murder case should not be given.
The top court reserved its verdict after hearing the parties in the case.
The top court on January 20 had granted interim protection from arrest to Supiyan on his appeal challenging an order of the Calcutta High Court which rejected his anticipatory bail plea.
The CBI is probing the death of BJP worker Debabrata Maity, who was allegedly attacked in Nandigram, on an order of the high court, which directed the agency to investigate post-poll violence cases in the state.
BJP's Manipur Ally Withdraws Support, Blames Biren Singh For Crisis In State 'Social Media Firms Must Compensate News Outlets': Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw Human Rights Body Seeks Report Within A Week As UP Fire Kills 10 Infants "Go Falcon. Go GSAT-20": SpaceX Successfully Launches Indian Satellite Why Donald Trump's Cabinet Choices Are Giving Pakistan Sleepless Nights Dhaka, Islamabad Inch Closer With Historic Sea Link. How It Impacts India OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Joins San Francisco's Transition Government PM Modi Holds Bilateral Meeting With Indonesia, Portugal At G20 Sidelines Germany To Send 4,000 AI Drones To Ukraine, Rejects Long-Range Missiles Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.