Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary and MP Abhishek Banerjee has alleged that several people associated with his office were intimidated and harassed by West Bengal Police’s Special Task Force (STF) and Criminal Investigation Department (CID), alleging that the action was politically motivated.
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In a post on X, Banerjee claimed that nearly 25 people associated with or associated with his office were summoned or arrested for questioning without proper notice and in violation of legal safeguards.
“Over the past two weeks, STF/CID@WBPolice, without proper notice and in violation of basic legal safeguards, have suddenly summoned or randomly arrested approximately 25 people associated with my office or associated with me, all in the name of interrogation. They are being intimidated, threatened and pressured to make false statements against me. Phones are being tapped, and even family members, including women, are being harassed and threatened. This is political intimidation in the country,” he said. Banerjee: “The worst of it.”
Targeting the state government, he further claimed, “The government whose chief minister was caught on camera for allegedly taking bribes, with several CBI cases pending on him, is now using state agencies to target me. Do what you can. I will not bow down till my last breath.”
Banerjee’s remarks come after TMC MP Kalyan Banerjee welcomed the observations made by the Calcutta High Court on protecting the dignity and fundamental rights of accused persons.
Referring to the Public Interest Litigation (PIL), Kalyan Banerjee said the Supreme Court observed that protection of human dignity forms an integral part of India’s constitutional framework and that accused persons cannot be subjected to degrading treatment.
The court also directed the West Bengal government to frame guidelines and circulate them to all police stations to prevent incidents such as public humiliation, egg attacks, mob violence and lynching while ensuring effective implementation, according to Kalyan Banerjee. The PIL came in the wake of recent incidents in which the accused were allegedly paraded in public and opposition leaders were targeted for egg attacks in the state.
