The Calcutta High Court refused an urgent hearing on a public interest litigation (PIL) petition alleging a significant surge in the assets of the relatives of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
The PIL was filed in August 2022 by advocate Tarunjyoti Tewari who claimed that the assets of the family members of Banerjee, who has five brothers, increased exponentially after 2013, two years after her party Trinamool Congress came to power in the state.
The plea was mentioned before a bench comprising Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya.
The advocate contended that certain intriguing facts have emerged subsequent to the Income Tax authorities’ submission in the case.
He further stated before the bench that, “This matter pertains to the disproportionate assets of the relatives of the current Chief Minister of this State. On a previous occasion, the court had directed the Income Tax Department to submit its response. The affidavit filed by the IT department reveals interesting facts.”
However, the division bench declined to expedite the matter and conveyed that it will be heard in due course. The court said, “It can wait. Let us proceed with other cases and make progress in the list. We will hear it in due course,” addressing the counsel’s request.
