2021 Bengal post-poll violence: Supreme Court chides CBI for casting aspersions on state judiciary

“What kind of grounds are taken in this? That all courts in West Bengal have hostile environment?… This is casting aspersions that the entire judiciary is under hostile environment,” the bench said.

The ASG said some “loose drafting” may have crept into the petition and said he will amend the same. The court expressed the view that it should be withdrawn.

The bench said that allowing the transfer would certify a hostile atmosphere persists in all the courts of the state and that they are not functioning.

Justice Oka Swiss, “Your officers may not like the judicial officer or a particular state but don’t say that the entire judiciary is not functioning. The judges, the district judges and civil judges and sessions judges can’t come here and defend themselves”.

The bench observed that scandalous allegations have been made against all the courts in general in West Bengal. “Repeatedly averred that there is a hostile environment prevailing in the courts. It is very unfortunate that the Central agency has chosen to cast aspersions on courts in West Bengal,” the bench said in the order

“Learned ASG states that there was no intention to cast aspersions. However, the averments are to the contrary. He seeks permission to withdraw. We make it clear that all objections to the proposed transfer are expressly kept open,” the bench added.