Kolkata, June 17 (IANS) Two crucial hearings are scheduled at the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday, including a petition challenging the decision of the West Bengal Assembly Speaker, Rathindra Bose, to accept the expelled Trinamool Congress legislator Ritabrata Banerjee as the leader of the new majority bloc of the party in the House and as the official Leader of Opposition (LoP).

The second case is the first hearing on the anticipatory bail petition filed by singer-turned-politician and former West Bengal Minister Indranil Sen on an FIR accusing him of financial forgery. The petition will be heard at another single-judge bench of Justice Jay Sengupta later in the day.

In case of the petition regarding appointment of the Leader of Opposition, Wednesday’s hearing will be the third hearing in the matter. The first hearing was on June 11, when the single-judge bench of Justice Rao refused to pass any interim protective order on the decision of the Speaker but raised a question on whether a legislator (in this case Ritabrata Banerjee), who had been expelled from the party, could be recognised as the LoP, without the formal consent of the political party concerned.

The second hearing in the matter was on June 16, when Justice Rao raised another question about why the decision on the majority bloc in Trinamool Congress’ legislative party was taken without conducting a floor-test in the House.

Ritrabrata Banerjee, however, had claimed that they were ready for a floor test within the House since that test will automatically prove which bloc in Trinamool Congress’ legislative party in West Bengal Assembly is in majority

Currently, the Trinamool Congress has 80 legislators in the 294-seat West Bengal Assembly. Among them, 60 legislators (which Ritabrata Banerjee claimed to have increased to 64 by June 1), support the new bloc led by Ritabrata Banerjee. On the other hand, 20 legislators remain with the old bloc, continuing allegiance to former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her nephew, the party’s general secretary, Abhishek Banerjee.

As regards Indranil Sen, earlier this month, an international tourism company lodged a police complaint against Sen and his wife, accusing them of illegally selling pre-Puja tickets by misusing the name of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

A complaint was registered against Sen and his wife at Bowbazar Police Station in central Kolkata earlier this month, and an investigation into the matter was initiated. Thereafter, Sen and his wife approached Calcutta High Court’s single-judge bench of Justice Jay Sengupta with an anticipatory bail plea, the first hearing on which will be on Wednesday.

In his complaint at Bowbazar Police Station, the complainant, Joydeep Mukherjee, claimed that Kolkata’s Durga Puja received UNESCO recognition in 2021. In 2022, an organisation named MassArt was formed and allegedly began financial activities using UNESCO’s name and logo. Madhuchanda Sen, the wife of Indranil Sen, heads the organisation.

MassArt claimed that it had selected 24 Durga Puja pandals in Kolkata in a joint venture with UNESCO. Joydeep complained that the organisation’s statement was completely false. MassArt had no such agreement with UNESCO. Tickets for the pre-Puja were sold illegally using the name and logo of UNESCO.

It is alleged that transactions worth crores of rupees were involved in this.

–IANS

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