Hearing on Bengal Guv’s defamation suit adjourned for a day

Kolkata: A crucial hearing on Thursday on an appeal by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in Calcutta High Court challenging an earlier order on a defamation suit filed by Governor CV Ananda Bose was adjourned for a day.

The Division Bench of Justice Indra Prasanna Mukerji and Justice Biswaroop Chowdhury will hear the matter on Friday.

However, the reasons for adjournment of the hearing were not known.

On July 16, a single-judge Bench of Justice Krishna Rao had put an interim stay on any kind of derogatory statements against Governor Bose till August 14.

The Bench ordered the interim stay acting on a defamation suit filed against the Chief Minister, where Trinamool Congress leader Kunal and party legislators Sayantika Banerjee and Reyat Sarkar were also made parties.

However, the Chief Minister challenged that order claiming that it was in violation of the provisions of the Freedom of Speech.

The Chief Minister’s counsel argued that the interim stay was ordered without making any observation on whether there was any defamation in the first place.

He also claimed that the Chief Minister didn't make any comment which might be deemed as defamatory.