SC refuses to entertain PIL for CBI probe into Tapas Pal's rape remarks

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday declined to entertain a PIL seeking CBI investigation into the controversial remarks made by actor-cum-Trinamool Congress MP Tapas Pal. [caption id=“attachment_1634969” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] TMC MP Tapas Pal had earlier threatened opposition members with rape. IBNLive[/caption] “You go to the high court. Why should we entertain when the statement was made in the state (West Bengal)? Why should the high court be by-passed in this matter?” a bench of Chief Justice RM Lodha and justices Kurian Joseph and Rohinton F Nariman said. The PIL was filed by advocate Bijayan Ghosh on 4 July, seeking a probe by CBI as he had alleged that the West Bengal Police were acting in a partisan manner in the matter. The advocate had said that since the state government was not taking any action and was dealing with the issue in a “partisan” manner, it will encourage other leaders to indulge in such activities. In the petition, the advocate had made West Bengal government and CBI as respondents. Pal was shown in a video footage aired by a vernacular TV news channel on June 30 threatening to kill CPI-M workers and having their women raped. “If any CPI-M man is present here. Listen to me. If you ever touch any Trinamool Congress worker or their families at Choumaha, you have to pay for this. Don’t try to act smart with me. I am smarter than you… “… Earlier, you guys have bullied me on various occasions. If you insult the mothers and daughters of Trinamool workers. Then I won’t spare you. I will let loose my boys in your homes and they will commit rape. I will teach each of you a lesson,” the MP had warned. Pal had later tendered an apology for his remarks which had triggered a nationwide outrage. PTI