Sandeshkhali sting video: State tells Calcutta High Court it will not take action against Gangadhar Kayl

The Calcutta High Court on Friday ordered the plea filed by Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) Mandal President Gangadhar Kayl to be placed before the Chief Justice for appropriate orders [Gangadhar Kayl v. State of West Bengal]..Justice Jay Sengupta also noted the submission of Advocate General Kishore Datta that the West Bengal government would not take any coercive steps against Kayl for now.The Court said that the main matter arising from the incidents in Sandeshkhali was heard in detail by a Bench of Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya. The judge further noted that the same Bench had also transferred the investigation in the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)."It is a settled law that a case and counter case have to be heard by the same court. It even applies on revision petitions and therefore must apply even on writ petitions. The outcome of this plea could have a direct effect on the ongoing probe. The division bench is still in seisin of the matter. Let the matter be placed before the Chief Justice for appropriate orders," Justice Sengupta said in his order..Kayl moved the High Court after a video of a 'sting operation' surfaced on social media on May 4. In the video, Kayl is seeing confessing that the entire Sandeshkhali episode was orchestrated by the BJP and its leaders, particularly Suvendu Adhikari.In his plea through Advocate Billwadal Bhattacharyya, Kayl has sought to quash the first information report (FIR) lodged by the State Police. He has claimed that the information obtained through the video cannot attract an FIR, but at the most can be classified as additional information under Section 162 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).Kayl has also alleged that the sting video is a fake one, as it has used a modulated version of his voice through Artificial Intelligence. He has sought a thorough probe by the CBI..The case involves allegations that lands of residents in Sandeshkhali were forcefully grabbed by Trinamool Congress (TMC) strongman Shahjahan Sheikh, who was suspended by the party earlier this year. Sheikh and his aides were also accused of sexually assaulting women in the village.He was eventually arrested by the West Bengal Police after being on the run for around 55 days.In an order passed on April 10, the High Court had transferred the probe in the case to the CBI.Recently, the alleged victims of sexual assault had revealed that they were forced to file complaints against TMC workers by BJP leaders..On May 16, the High Court refused to grant an urgent hearing to BJP leader and Advocate Priyanka Tibrewal, who claimed that women in Sandeshkhali were being forced to withdraw the rape cases filed against TMC workers..Sandeshkhali: Calcutta High Court refuses urgent hearing on claims that women are being forced to withdraw rape cases