Husband of Calcutta High Court judge not complying with notice: West Bengal government to Supreme Court

The West Bengal government on Friday told the Supreme Court that the husband of Calcutta High Court jugde Justice Amrita Sinha is not complying with a notice to be called as witness in a property dispute case he is accused of interfering in..A Bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and SVN Bhatti asked the State Police to continue with the investigation in accordance with law.The case will be taken up next in the second week of January 2024, by when the State has to file a fresh status report.The State government had today filed a report in a sealed cover, and informed the Bench that relevant CCTV footage had been requisitioned, but not made available..The notice issued to the husband of the judge and his personal security officer were under Section 160 of the Criminal Procedure Code..The top court was hearing a plea filed by a 64-year-old widow and her daughter. The petitioners alleged interference in a criminal probe by the lawyer-husband of Justice Amrita Sinha.The Bench had in November directed the State Crime Investigation Department (CID) to continue with the probe without succumbing to any pressure, and to inform the Court whether there was any interference.The matter is rooted in a legal battle over certain ancestral property. It was claimed that one of the petitioners was threatened on several occasions to give up the property and even physically beaten, which was stated to have been captured by CCTV cameras.Therefore, two criminal cases were filed by the petitioner widow against her relatives..The first case involves allegations of criminal conspiracy, causing hurt, cheating, forgery and wrongful restraint.The second involves allegations of attempt to commit culpable homicide, outraging the modesty of a woman, house trespass, causing hurt and criminal intimidation as well an offence under Section 25 of the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act, 2007.The petitioners alleged that Advocate Dey, the husband of Justice Sinha, was engaged by their relatives and has been using his clout and exerting pressure on the investigating agency so that the above cases are not investigated properly.It was further argued that owing to such pressure, the probes in the two criminal cases have been brought to a standstill.The petitioners moved the present plea before the Supreme Court seeking directions to ensure that the two criminal complaints are properly investigated without any influence by Advocate Dey or his wife, Justice Sinha.The petition has alleged that the Investigating Officer was summoned to the official chambers of Justice Sinha and that he was rebuked, reprimanded and ordered to drop the criminal investigation as the matter was purely civil in nature..Advocates Sunil Fernandes and Astha Sharma represented the West Bengal government..The Petitioners were represented by Senior Advocate Sanjay Hegde, along with Advocate Nina Nariman and Advocate on Record Mithu Jain.