Supreme Court Declines Urgent Listing of West Bengal’s Suit Against CBI Probe

The Supreme Court, on February 21, declined to pass an order for the urgent listing of a lawsuit filed by the West Bengal Government against the CBI’s probe into post-poll violence cases. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the West Bengal government, highlighted the repeated adjournments of the matter, urging for a prompt hearing.

However, the Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud-led Bench refused to intervene, directing the matter to be brought before the relevant Bench. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta argued against the urgency, suggesting the matter could wait a few days.

The lawsuit, invoking Article 131 of the Constitution, alleges that the CBI continued its investigations despite the State’s withdrawal of general consent. The provision empowers states to approach the Supreme Court directly in disputes with the Centre or other states, emphasizing the constitutional significance of the case.