SC notice to Bengal govt over 'harassment' of officials for checking luggage of TMC leader's wife

Taking note of the alleged harassment of custom officials at Kolkata airport for checking the luggage of wife of a Trinamool Congress leader, the Supreme Court Friday issued notice to the state government on the matter.

Headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi, an apex court bench also termed the alleged incident "very very serious". "Someone has drawn our attention to something. It is very very serious. We do not know whose claims are bona fide," the bench, also comprising Justice Sanjiv Khanna, said. It did not consider the submission of senior advocate A M Singhvi that no notice was required to be issued on the petition.

On March 29, the Centre had told the apex court that custom officials at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata were "intimidated, harassed and threatened" by the local police for checking the baggage of the wife of a TMC MP, who is a relative of Chief Minister Mamata Bannerjee.

It also alleged that "institutional anarchy" and "complete lawlessness" have been prevailing in West Bengal.

-PTI