No immediate relief for e Bengal minister as Calcutta HC declines urgent hearing
West Bengal sports minister Arup Biswas failed to secure immediate relief from the Calcutta High Court after the court declined an urgent hearing on his
West Bengal sports minister Arup Biswas failed to secure immediate relief from the Calcutta High Court after the court declined an urgent hearing on his plea seeking protection from arrest or any coercive police action in connection with an FIR linked to the controversial Lionel Messi GOAT India Tour event held in Kolkata last year. The matter was mentioned before the bench of Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya, which refused to grant an emergency hearing, citing a heavy backlog of pending cases. The court made it clear that the petition would be heard only after it is formally filed and listed in the normal course. Read Full Story With the court declining to take up the matter urgently, Biswas was unable to obtain any interim protection from possible police action.
The development comes at a time when the former minister and his family are facing mounting scrutiny following the arrest of his younger brother, Swarup Biswas, in a separate case involving allegations made by a woman makeup artist from the Bengali film industry. Police arrested Swarup Biswas on Thursday after the woman alleged that she had been denied work for nearly two years and was asked to pay money in exchange for professional opportunities. According to her complaint, she was warned that she would not receive future assignments if she failed to comply. She further alleged that when she later approached Swarup Biswas seeking work, he molested her.
The arrest triggered unrest in Kolkata's New Alipore area on Friday, with angry residents allegedly forcing their way into Suruchi Sangha, one of the city's most prominent Durga Puja clubs and an organisation long associated with the Biswas brothers. Eyewitnesses said a crowd gathered outside the club before breaking open the locks and entering the premises. Residents claimed they found a room equipped with a king-size bed, air-conditioning and other luxury amenities, prompting questions about how the club's facilities were being used. Protesters also alleged that they discovered stacks of government-branded bottled drinking water and bundles of sarees that appeared to be relief materials stored inside the premises.
They demanded a thorough investigation into the source of the items and the functioning of the club. The tension later spilled onto nearby streets, where an associate of Swarup Biswas was reportedly chased and assaulted by a group of protesters before seeking refuge inside the New Alipore police station. Neither Arup Biswas nor representatives of Suruchi Sangha have publicly responded to the allegations levelled by residents. The controversy has also revived longstanding allegations within sections of the Bengali film industry regarding the influence allegedly wielded by the Biswas brothers. Ends
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