Ex-CPI(M) MLA from Sandeshkhali granted bail by Calcutta High Court

Kolkata: A division bench of the Calcutta High Court, on Tuesday, granted immediate bail to the former CPI(M) legislator from Sandeshkhali Assembly constituency, Nirapada Sardar, who was arrested by the district police on February 11 on charges of instigating the local villagers against a section of the local Trinamool Congress leaders.

While granting him immediate bail, the division bench of Justice Debangshu Basak and Justice Shabbar Rashidi also observed that if the arrested CPI(M) leader is not released on Tuesday it will be deemed as “contempt of court”.

Nirapada Sardar's family members had approached the division bench of Calcutta High Court with a bail plea.

During the course of hearing the division bench observed some lapses in the evidence on the charges under which he had been arrested. The court division bench also directed the Superintendent of Basirhat District Police to submit a report to the court on this count on the next date of hearing.

The bench also observed that it was quite intriguing that the former CPI(M) legislator was arrested just on the basis of a complaint filed by someone against him.

The former MLA was arrested on the basis of the complaint filed by local Trinamool Congress leader Shibu Hazra, who was himself arrested later on multiple charges like forceful grabbing of farmland, illegal conversion of land into pisciculture farms and sexual harassment of local women.

The main accusation against Nirapada Sardar, as made by Shibu Hazra first and subsequently by the police, is that he took a lead role in assembling the local women to hit the streets with bamboo sticks and sickles first and subsequently masterminding the attack on Hazra’s poultry farm and farmhouse on February 9.

However, since the day of his arrest Nirapada Sardar has been vehemently denying the charges and said that while the attack on Hazra’s poultry farm and farmhouse took place on Friday, he was at a different place engaged in a party meeting.

“I was not even in the locality on Thursday and Friday, when the agitation by the local people started,” Nirapada Sardar had told the media soon after his arrest.