PIL in Calcutta High Court Alleges Fraudulent Stamp Paper Issuance to Boost TMC Rebel Faction’s Numbers
In the petition it was stated that lakhs of stamp papers have been sold by the state and have no serial number being entered into the registers. To collect signatures from members of TMC and others to help rebel member.
On Tuesday, Calcutta High Court asked West Bengal Government to file a reply on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) wherein it was alleged that the state along with police and other officials are illegally selling stamp papers and taking forceful signature of Trinamool congress (TMC) workers and others to collect support of rebel worker and leader of opposition Ritabrata Banerjee gang.
Bench of Chief Justice Ravindra Vithalrao Ghuge and Justice Shabbar Rashidi stated that stamp papers can only be sold by authorised persons and such selling should be mentioned in the register.
"Stamp papers are only supposed to be sold by stamp vendor. There should be entry in the register for the selling of stamp papers. Tell us if you are following that or not", Bench remarked.
State informed the Court that it will be filing a detailed reply and asked for time.
Court gave them time and next listed the matter on 11th of December.
The writ petition was filed by Surajit Mondal who is an elected Zilla Parishad member of Hooghly district.
It all began when Ritabrata Banerjee alleged that he is the original TMC party and therefore "Flower and Grass" symbol should be allotted to his party not Mamata Bnerjee group.
Earlier this year Ritabrata Banerjee split from Mamata Banerjees TMC and claimed that he is the true TMC party as he had more number of MLA supporting him. After that he was declared as leader of opposition in the speak of west bengal assembly.
Both parties have filed petition in Election Commission of India (ECI) and who has more number of MLA's supporting is being determined. Hence signatures on stamp paper will play a major role in deciding who is the true TMC.
So if illegal collection of signatures is going on it could affect the decision taken by ECI.
As per the writ petition high officials of state government have given directive to various district officers throughout west Bengal to illegally sell stamp papers. People who are working under TMC and other workers are being asked to sign those stamp paper for the benefit of rebel gang.
Senior Advocate Kalyan Bandopadhyay appearing for petitioner stated that lakhs of stamp papers have been sold by the state without entering serial number in the respective register for sale of those stamp papers.
He requested the Hon'ble Court to call upon the state to provide report regarding entries of stamp papers in various sub registry office.
State contended that the PIL is not maintainable but asked for time to take instruction from respective department.
After that Court directed state to file its counter.
Maintainability of the writ petition will be argued at a later date.
"As maintainability has been questioned by the Respondent side let them file their specific defence regarding the maintainability of this writ petition along with their counter reply. Pagination should be in continuity with that of the petition filed" Order read.
Senior Advocate Kalyan Bandopadhyay along with advocate Suman Sengupta, Anit Kumar Das, Ashish Dutta and Rahul Kumar Singh appeared on behalf of petitioner.
Advocate General DN Ray with Senior Advocate Anindya Basu, Pradip Mukherjee, Indradeep Pal and Bikash Kumar Sriwastav appeared on behalf of the State.
