The Chief Secretary of Bengal, the state’s top bureaucrat appointed by the Election Commission ahead of the state elections, received a sharp reprimand from the Supreme Court today for not receiving a call from the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court when seven judicial officials were taken hostage in Malda last week. When the official, Dushyant Nariala, replied that he was on a flight and did not get any call, the court said he would have got a call in the evening if he had shared his number.
When the official apologised and his counsel started explaining, the irked judge said, “Don’t defend him”.
The top court, which went through the National Investigation Agency’s report on the hostage situation, said the Central agency will take over the case entirely from the local police. Invoking its extraordinary powers under Article 142 to hand over the probe the NIA, teh court said there are serious allegations against members of state police in the NIA report.
Read: Who Is Mofakkerul Islam? Man Arrested In Connection With Malda Hostage Case
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