The high court on Tuesday declined to take up urgently a petition by Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee seeking intervention to stop what he said was a media trial against him through allegedly incorrect reporting.
Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya said there was no scope for an immediate hearing at this stage, with the court’s long Puja vacation approaching.
“At this moment, there is no scope to hear the petition with immediate effect,” the judge said.
Abhishek had approached the high court seeking an order restraining investigators in various cases from allegedly leaking information about him to select media organisations.
His counsel argued that the coverage was contributing to a media trial against his client and could adversely influence ongoing investigations.
The petition sought the court’s intervention to prevent the alleged selective disclosure of investigative information and its use in media reports.
Abhishek’s legal team pressed for an early hearing, arguing that the alleged media trial was intensifying. The court, however, declined to take up the matter immediately.
The high court’s Puja vacation is scheduled to begin on October 16, with the court reopening on November 23, after Bhai Phonta. Vacation benches will sit during the recess to hear urgent matters.
A counsel appearing for Abhishek said several petitions were being filed ahead of the vacation, making it difficult for the court to accommodate every matter immediately.
The court’s decision was limited to the request for an urgent hearing. It did not examine the merits of Abhishek’s allegations against the media or the alleged disclosures by investigators.
The petition is yet to be considered on its merits. The matter is likely to be heard again after the court reopens.