Kolkata: Calcutta High Court on Thursday allowed the anticipatory bail plea by Trinamool Congress MLA Paresh Pal and two councilors, accused in the murder of BJP activist Abhijit Sarkar in 2021.
Justice Jay Sengupta held that there was no evidence against Pal and TMC councillors Swapan Samaddar and Papiya Ghosh though their names were mentioned in CBI's supplementary charge sheet.
Sarkar was killed within hours of the declaration of the 2021 Bengal assembly poll results on May 2. His brother had named the MLA in his complaint to Narkeldanga police.
Justice Sengupta also noted that CBI named the three along with 16 others as accused in the case four years after the incident.
The court granted anticipatory bail to the three against a personal bail bond of Rs 1 lakh each and directed them not to leave the country without the court's permission. The court also restrained the three from stepping into Sitalatala Lane, leading to the Sarkar residence at Kankurgachi.
The same court had on Aug 5 granted bail to SI Ratna Sarkar and home guard Deepankar Debnath of Narkeldanga PS, who were in custody as accused in the case.