Vishwanath Pradhan vs. State Of West Bengal And Anr
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The petitioners, including Somona De, Proprietor of M/s. SK Trading Co., filed several writ petitions (WPA 16929 of 2022, WPA 16357 of 2022, WPA 16358 of 2022, WPA 16925 of 2022) and applications (CAN 1 of 2022, CAN 1 of 2024) before the High Court. The petitions appear to be related to a "serious scam causing loss to the State Revenue" and "fraud committed against this High Court," involving "creating fake companies and filing fake cases." The State, represented by the State of West Bengal & Ors., was the respondent. The court perused investigation progress reports filed by the Commissioner of Police, Kolkata, and the Additional Director General of Police, CID, West Bengal.
Held
The Court found the investigation progress reports filed by the Commissioner of Police, Kolkata, and the Additional Director General of Police, CID, West Bengal, to be "quite satisfactory." The Court acknowledged the "serious scam causing loss to the State Revenue" and the "fraud committed against this High Court." It expressed satisfaction with the "job of Kolkata police and the West Bengal police in this matter." The Court directed that the investigation would be monitored by the Commissioner of Police, Kolkata, and the Additional Director General of Police, CID, West Bengal. The constituted teams are to submit monthly reports to their respective superiors until the investigation is complete. Furthermore, the teams are to update their superiors until the trial is completed. The Court expected expeditious investigation to continue until its final conclusion and offenders are punished, sending a message that such criminal offenses will not be easy in the future and no one involved will go unpunished. The writ petitions and applications were disposed of with these observations and directions.
Key Issues
1. Whether the investigation into the alleged GST revenue scam, involving the creation of fake companies and fraudulent filings before the High Court, is being conducted satisfactorily and expeditiously by the Kolkata Police and West Bengal Police. (Question of fact and law) Petitioner's Arguments: The judgment does not record specific arguments made by the petitioner regarding the investigation's progress. The focus appears to be on the court's observation of the investigation. Revenue/State's Arguments: The State, through learned Additional Government Pleader Mr. Siddiqui, presented investigation progress reports from the Commissioner of Police, Kolkata, and the Additional Director General of Police, CID, West Bengal. The State's implicit argument is that the investigation is progressing and steps are being taken to address the scam.
AI-generated summary — verify with the full judgment below
2024 PB Sl. No.2 to 5. WPA 16929 of 2022 with CAN 1 of 2022 with WPA 16357 of 2022 with CAN 1 of 2024 with WPA 16358 of 2022 with WPA 16925 of 2022 Somona De, Proprietor of M/s. SK Trading Co. Vs The State of West Bengal & Ors. Mr. Lokesh Sharma. … For the Petitioner. Mr. A. Ray, Mr. T. M. Siddiqui, Mr. T. Chakraborty, Mr. S. Sanyal. …….for the State. Investigation progress reports filed by the Commissioner of Police, Kolkata, and the Additional Director General of Police, CID, West Bengal, through Mr. Siddiqui, learned Additional Government Pleader be kept with the record. I have perused the aforesaid investigation progress reports and found the same quite satisfactory so far as investigation and steps taken in such a serious scam causing loss to the State Revenue and the fraud committed against this High Court. The job of Kolkata police and the West Bengal
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conclusion and the offenders are punished in accordance with law so that a message should go to the society that this type of criminal offence GST revenue and even going to the extent of creating fake companies and filing fake cases before the High Court causing huge loss to the State revenue will not be easier in future and no one involve whether directly or indirectly in this State revenue scam will go unpunished. It is directed that investigation in question will be monitored by the Commissioner of Police, Kolkata, and the Additional Director General of Police, CID, West Bengal, and the team constituted by them shall submit the monthly report to them till the investigation is complete in all respect and the team will update them till the trial is completed. Both the reports filed in Court be kept with the record. With this observations and directions, these writ petitions and the applications are disposed of. ( Md. Nizamuddin, J.)
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Reproduced from the public record of the Calcutta High Court. Verify against the court's own copy before relying on it. Income tax judgments are on bharattax.net.