Supreme Court grants interim protection from arrest to BJP's Nisith Pramanik in attempt to murder case

The Supreme Court on Friday granted interim protection from arrest to Union Minister of State Nisith Pramanik in an attempt to murder case against him [Nisith Pramanik vs State of West Bengal]..The Court directed the State of West Bengal not to take any coercive action against Pramanik until the next date of hearing in the anticipatory bail plea filed by the minister before the Calcutta High Court.A bench of Justices Bela M Trivedi and Pankaj Mithal noted that the anticipatory bail plea is slated to be heard by the Calcutta High Court on January 22 and directed expeditious disposal of the same..The matter arose after a Cooch Behar resident was shot at in 2018, allegedly at the behest of Pramanik, the Union Sports and Home Minister of State and a leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).The police had subsequently registered a criminal case against him for offences under the Arms Act and for attempt to murder. Pramanik then filed a plea for anticipatory bail before the Calcutta High Court, which on January 4 adjourned the matter.This led to the instant appeal before the apex court..The Supreme Court had on Thursday (yesterday) directed the West Bengal government to file its response to the plea..During the proceedings today, Senior Advocate PS Patwalia and advocate Bansuri Swaraj appeared for Pramanik and sought protection until the matter is listed before Calcutta High Court.Representing the West Bengal government, Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan pointed out that the petitioner could have approached the Chief Justice of the High Court for relief. However, he assured the Court that no arrest would be made despite the absence of a recorded undertaking.After the Court directed expeditious disposal of the matter, Patwalia pressed for interim protection, while Sankaranarayanan argued that given the number of cases, Pramanik could have been arrested long ago.The Court then ordered that no coercive action be taken against the BJP minister until the anticipatory bail plea is listed before the High Court.The Court also clarified that it has said nothing on the merits of the matter. .Pramanik's plea before the Supreme Court was filed through advocate Siddhesh Shirish Kotwal.