Calcutta High Court on Friday rejected a petition by the leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, challenging the restriction on his movement beyond his Nandigram Assembly constituency during the panchayat polls on Saturday.

The restriction was imposed on Adhikari by the circle inspector of Contai police station through a notice.

Moving the petition, Adhikari’s counsel claimed that the State Election Commission (SEC) through the order had discriminated against his client. The lawyer said only the movements of Opposition party MLAs had been restricted by the SEC.

The counsel claimed that being the leader of the Opposition he should be able to go to places wherever his presence was required.

The counsel appearing for SEC informed the court that the movement of every MLA, either from the ruling party or the Opposition, had been restricted as a safety measure. After hearing the SEC counsel, Justice Amrita Sinha rejected the petition.

Parole cancelled

Justice Jay Sengupta of Calcutta High Court on Friday cancelled the state jail department’s order to release Anisur Rahaman of Panskura in East Midnapore from jail for five days on parole.

Justice Sengupta directed the state administration to send Anisur back to jail with immediate effect.

Trinamul Congress leader Anisur is accused of murdering Panskura’s CPM leader Korban Shah. He has been languishing in jail since 2019.

Both Calcutta High Court and Supreme Court had rejected his bail prayer several times in the last few years.

On July 3, Anisur made a representation to the jail department seeking release from jail at least for seven days due to his mother’s illness.

On the next day, the jail department issued an order releasing Anisur from jail on parole from July 4 to July 9, when voting for panchayat polls will be held.

Challenging the legality of the jail department’s decision, Korban’s son moved a petition before Justice Sengupta. The counsel appearing for the petitioner said that prior to the 2021 Assembly poll state had taken a similar decision.

“But the high court had cancelled his parole and sent him to jail.”

The lawyer also told the court that there were 35 other criminal cases pending against Anisur. After Sengupta heard the petitioner’s lawyer, he asked the jail authorities to put him back in jail.