Calcutta HC CJ asks Justice Gangopadhyay's office to return files of Abhishek Banerjee

Kolkata, May 1 (IANS) The office of the acting Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court, T.S. Sivagnanam on Monday asked the office of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay to return the files related to the two cases against Trinamool's national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee in the alleged multi-crore recruitment scam in West Bengal.

The case has been transferred from Justice Gangopadhyay's bench following an order from the Supreme Court on April 28.

Calcutta High Court sources said that this recalling of files has been as per procedure followed in case of transfer of any case from one particular bench to another.

"On getting the related files back, the acting Chief Justice will decide on the new bench where the cases will be transferred and direct his office to issue a notification on this count," said a senior court official on condition of anonymity.

On April 28, an apex court division bench of Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud and P.S. Narasimha ordered the transfer of these two cases from the bench of Justice Gangopadhyay based on the transcript of the interview that the latter had given to a particular news channel.

However, since the apex court did not issue any specific instruction on the remaining cases related to the alleged recruitment scam, those have continued to be under the jurisdiction of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay.

However, Justice Gangopadhyay has himself expressed apprehension that the remaining cases might also be transferred from his bench in future on the same grounds.

"As per norms, the Chief Justice or acting Chief Justice of any high court decides the roster of judges. Roster here means a list of what subjects are to be heard by which judge. As it is, the next revision of roster of judges at the Calcutta High Court is scheduled next month only," said a senior counsel of the Calcutta High Court.