Union minister of state for home affairs Nisith Pramanik, obeying a Calcutta High Court directive, appeared at a local court here on Tuesday in connection with his alleged involvement in a theft case.
After going through formalities in court, the BJP Cooch Behar MP accused Trinamul of implicating him falsely in the case with a political motive. Trinamul leaders, on the other hand, said his appearance in court substantiated their allegation.
On November 11 last year, Pramanik didn’t present himself at the judicial magistrate’s court in Alipurduar in connection with the theft case where a charge under Section 373 of the Indian Penal Code was brought against him.
The court issued an arrest warrant against him in response to which Pramanik filed a petition at Calcutta High Court. On November 23, Calcutta High Court ordered Pramanik to appear in the said judicial magistrate’s court in Alipurduar between January 7 and 12 this year.
Accordingly, Pramanik reached here on Tuesday afternoon and presented himself at the judicial magistrate(second) court as the judge of the judicial magistrate (first)court was absent.
Som Shankar Dutta, Pramanik’s lawyer, said: “The court heard the case and ordered that (as) he is a central minister and an MP, he need not appear on every date of the case, and on his behalf, his lawyer will be allowed to appear in court on the next dates. My client’s name was not in the FIR but was added to the charge sheet.”
Later in the day, Pramaniksaid that the case was registered back in 2009. “It is a political conspiracy to try and weaken leaders and elected representatives of other parties. I have full faith in the court and I believe the truth will come out,” he said.
Trinamul leaders said the BJP must look in its own backyard.
“BJP leaders make lengthy comments on recent investigations taken up by central agencies in the state to malign our leaders. But they conveniently forget that they have a Union minister of state who is accused of theft,” said Mridul Goswami, Trinamul chief of Alipurduar district.
