Rise in assets case: Apex court stays proceedings of Calcutta HC

Chief Justice U U Lalit heard the hearing and stayed the proceedings of Calcutta High Court. 

MP  |  10 Sept 2022 |  Kolkata: Supreme Court on Friday stayed the proceedings of Calcutta High Court regarding the rise in the asset of 19 Trinamool Congress leaders case. The Supreme Court will hear the case. Chief Justice U U Lalit heard the hearing and stayed the proceedings of Calcutta High Court. 

Swarnakamal Saha, Trinamool MLA, had filed a petition before the Supreme Court urging it to look into the matter. 

Earlier, a division bench of the Calcutta High Court on Monday directed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to be a party in a PIL (Public Interest Litigation) regarding the assets and property details of 19 heavyweight leaders, including seven current ministers of Bengal. 

The PIL was filed in February 2017, seeking an investigation into the increase in assets of ministers and leaders between 2011 and 2016, disproportionate to the known sources of income. 

Calling the Supreme Court order a moral victory for Trinamool Congress, Jyotipriya Mullick said some people with vested interest had tried to spread canard against Trinamool. He alleged that BJP was behind the game as its only intention was to defame Trinamool Congress and its leaders. 

Earlier, TMC leader Moloy Ghatak, who is also the state Law minister, had claimed that there was nothing unnatural about the increase in assets. "The price of assets will go up naturally after five years. If you have a fixed deposit, obviously, in five years, its valuation will increase due to the accumulation of interest. 

We have declared everything to the income tax department. If there is something illegal, let the income tax department point it out," Ghatak had stated. 

http://www.millenniumpost.in/kolkata/rise-in-assets-case-apex-court-stays-proceedings-of-cal-hc-492508