Supreme Court Declines Plea, Directs Rebel MLA's Leader to Approach Calcutta High Court

The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to entertain a plea by a leader of the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress faction. The petitioner had sought a direction to the West Bengal Assembly Speaker to expeditiously decide the petitions seeking disqualification of the rebel MLAs. The court asked him to approach the Calcutta High Court. A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, while disposing of the petition filed by Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, directed him to approach the Calcutta High Court. The bench urged the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court to place the matter before a Division Bench for hearing. The bench ordered, "We feel that the petitioner should approach the Calcutta High Court. Therefore, we dispose of this petition at this stage and grant liberty to the petitioner to file an appropriate petition in the High Court. We request the Chief Justice of the High Court to list this matter for urgent consideration before the Division Bench and take a decision on this petition as early as possible."