SC seeks report from Calcutta HC on judge giving TV interview about pending case

On April 17, the top court had stayed the Calcutta High Court’s April 13 order directing the CBI and the ED to interrogate TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee and Kuntal Ghosh, an accused in the case, and file a report based on that.

The Supreme Court on April 24 sought a report from the Calcutta High Court on whether one of its judges, Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay, allegedly gave a TV interview about the pending sensational school job-for-bribe case.

“A judge has no business giving an interview in a pending case,” Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud observed orally.

The Registrar General of the High Court has been directed to submit a report by April 27. The court listed the case for hearing on April 28.

On April 17, the top court had stayed the Calcutta High Court’s April 13 order directing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to interrogate Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee and Kuntal Ghosh, an accused in the case, and file a report based on that.

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Prior to this, a single judge Bench of the Calcutta High Court of Justice Gangopadhyay had directed the West Bengal Police not to lodge any FIR against CBI and ED officers probing the alleged scam.

The High Court had taken note of the public speech of Mr. Banerjee, nephew of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in which he had purportedly said that Mr. Ghosh was being pressured by Central probe agencies to name him in the case.