Calcutta HC Quashes Case Over 2024 Police Raid At Suvendu Adhikari’s Rented House

The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday quashed an old case related to a police raid at the rented residence of Suvendu Adhikari in Kolaghat, East Midnapore district, during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Adhikari was the Leader of the Opposition in West Bengal at the time of the incident. The case stemmed from a search carried out by the state police at his residence in May 2024.

The West Bengal Police had said that the raid was conducted as part of an attempt to arrest a wanted criminal. Adhikari, however, disputed the police's explanation and alleged that the search was intended to harass him during the election period. He subsequently approached the court over the matter, while the police maintained its earlier position regarding the reason for the operation.

In its report submitted before the Calcutta High Court, the police stated that nothing suspicious had been found during the search of Adhikari's rented residence. A blank seizure list was prepared following the operation, and the investigation did not progress further. Adhikari was not at the residence when the police arrived, as he was attending a political programme elsewhere.

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Adhikari had claimed that around 80 police personnel were involved in the raid. The operation also led to protests by local BJP leaders and supporters, who confronted the police at the residence and exchanged heated words with them. After learning about the raid, Adhikari went to the Kolaghat Police Station, where he also had an altercation with police personnel on duty.

Adhikari had alleged that the police failed to follow prescribed protocols for raids and search operations. He also indirectly accused Trinamool Congress general secretary and Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha member Abhishek Banerjee of being behind the police action. He later approached the Calcutta High Court and alleged that personnel from the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), which was working as the Trinamool Congress' poll strategist, had accompanied the police during the raid.

After examining the matter, the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday quashed the case related to the 2024 raid. The order brings the legal proceedings arising from the incident to an end. The case had remained connected to the dispute over the circumstances surrounding the police search at Adhikari's rented residence during the Lok Sabha election period.

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