Kolkata: Denying anticipatory bail to an accused in a cross-border smuggling case, Calcutta High Court on Monday directed the formation of a Special Task Force to further probe the matter.
BSF had apprehended one person and recovered 37 mobile phones along with 50 bottles of phensedyl. According to the petitioner's lawyer, a case was registered against 20 people. However, the petitioner was not named in the FIR.
Subsequently, a chargesheet was filed and 20 people were discharged from the case. Two persons, including the petitioner, were shown as accused — the other being the person held by BSF. The state submitted that, according to the statement of the co-accused, the petitioner employed people to take the consignments.
The division bench of justices Joymalya Bagchi and Gaurang Kanth held that in spite of the incriminating material in the FIR, "it belies logic how the investigating agency could pray for discharge of the accused named by the informant". The HC directed the formation of an STF attached to the state police under the CID ADG's supervision, including officers not lower than the rank of ASP. The bench refused to grant anticipatory bail to the petitioner as the probe would require his custodial interrogation.