Calcutta High Court Stays FIR Registered By WB Police Against CBI Officers Probing Coal Scam

The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday imposed an interim stay for 6 weeks on the FIR registered by State police authorities against CBI officers for allegedly harassing common people during the ongoing probe into the coal smuggling scam in the State. 

Pursuant to the order, the State police authorities will not be able to take any further steps in the FIR which names CBI officers including Umesh Kumar, who is leading the probe.

The concerned FIR was filed at the Bishnupur police station under Diamond Harbour sub-division of South 24-Parganas. A resident of Diamond Harbour had filed a complaint at Bishnupur police station alleging that he, along with some other people, were threatened by CBI officers in the name of interrogation in connection with the coal and cattle smuggling cases.

The complainant had also alleged that CBI officers had been putting pressure on them to give statements according to their instructions and had also named CBI officer Umesh Kumar in the complaint.

Pursuant to the complaint, the State police authorities registered an FIR against the CBI officers. 

Issuing an interim stay, Justice Bibek Chaudhuri observed, 

"In the meantime, there shall be stay of further investigation into the offences punishable under Sections34/120B/166/167/193/195/195A/196/465/467/468/471/506( ii) of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 in connection with Bishnupur Police Station Case No. 361/2022 dated 27.05.2022 for a period of six weeks." 

The Court however underscored that such an interim stay shall not restrain the CBI from continuing with the investigation into the alleged coal scam case during the pendency of the instant criminal revision.

Case Title: In the matter of Central Bureau of Investigation represented by Anupam Mathur & Anr

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