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Supreme Court judge recuses, hearing of contempt plea against ex-Kolkata police chief put off

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[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The Supreme Court today (Wednesday, Feb 20) put off proceedings in contempt plea against former Kolkata police commissioner Rajeev Kumar and two other Bengal officials after Supreme Court judge, Justice L Nageswara Rao, on Wednesday recused himself from the case.

Justice Rao said he had appeared for Bengal as a lawyer and therefore cannot hear the case. The Supreme Court has now posted the matter for hearing on February 26.

The contempt case was filed in the apex court by the premier investigation agency on February 4 in the aftermath of the huge controversy that had broken out a day earlier when a team of CBI sleuths had arrived unannounced in Kolkata, allegedly to arrest Kumar. The CBI accused the officers of obstructing its probe into the multi-crore Saradha and Rose Valley chit fund scams and alleged that electronic evidence was tampered with in the case.

The court had issued the contempt notices against West Bengal Chief secretary Malay Kumar De, DGP Virendera Kumar and then Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar on the CBI’s plea.

The three officers have refuted the CBI’s allegations in their affidavits. They tendered “unconditional apology” to the court but said that the Bengal government and the state police never denied cooperation to CBI or obstructed probe.

The Bengal police said that the CBI forcefully tried to enter the then Kolkata police commissioner Rajeev Kumar’s residence on February 3 without valid papers.

The CBI’s move was dubbed by West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee as ‘political intimidation and witch-hunt’ at the behest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government. Banerjee had sat on an impromptu dharna against the CBI’s action even as the Supreme Court had stayed the arrest or any coercive action by the agency against Kumar while directing the Kolkata top cop to present himself before the bureau for questioning.

Kumar had later appeared before a CBI team, in Shillong, for interrogation. Earlier this week, the West Bengal government had transferred Kumar, conferring on him the twin designations of Additional Director General (ADG) of Police and Inspector General (in-charge of the State’s Crime Investigation Department).

On February 5, the bench had issued notices to the Chief Secretary of West Bengal, the state’s and Kumar on the CBI’s contempt plea and asked the officers to submit their responses to the court by February 18. The bench had said that, following perusal of the responses submitted by the three senior officials, the court may require their personal appearance on February 20 when the contempt case comes up for further hearing.

On Wednesday, even as the Supreme Court deferred the hearing in the case till February 26, senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Kumar, informed the bench headed by Chief Justice Gogoi that an additional affidavit had been filed by the CBI in the contempt proceedings. Singhvi opposed the fresh affidavit saying claiming that the agency filed it “without any orders of the court, in direct violation of the rules.”

Singhvi said that as per the “Rules to Regulate Proceedings for the Contempt of the Supreme Court”, fresh affidavits and documents cannot be filed in an ongoing matter once the person charged of the offence of contempt has filed his reply. The senior advocate said that the response of Kumar and the Bengal chief secretary and DGP had been filed with the top court before the agency submitted the additional affidavit on February 18.

Attorney General KK Venugopal, appearing for the Centre, however, told the bench that the agency must be given a chance to respond to the charge levelled by Singhvi as this was a “very serious matter”.

The court took Singhvi and Venugopal’s submissions on record and posted the matter for further hearing on next Tuesday when a new bench will be constituted by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi to hear the case.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

India News

Abhishek Banerjee says will not bow to BJP after nearly 11 hours of ED questioning

After spending nearly 11 hours before the Enforcement Directorate, TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee said he would not bow to the BJP and accused the ruling party of using investigative agencies for political purposes.

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Abhishek Banerjee

Trinamool Congress leader and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee on Tuesday said he would not bow to the BJP after spending nearly 11 hours being questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with an ongoing investigation.

Speaking after the questioning, Banerjee alleged that central agencies were being used to target opposition leaders and asserted that he would continue his political fight despite what he described as sustained pressure.

The TMC leader has repeatedly maintained that investigations involving him are politically motivated, a charge he has made on several previous occasions while appearing before central agencies.

His appearance before the ED comes amid a period of heightened political activity and multiple investigations involving leaders in West Bengal. Recent days have also seen Banerjee face summons and questioning in separate matters by state investigative agencies.

After leaving the ED office, Banerjee reiterated that he would not be intimidated and said he remained committed to his political responsibilities. He also accused the BJP of attempting to weaken opposition parties through investigative action, an allegation that the BJP has rejected in the past.

The Enforcement Directorate has not publicly commented on Banerjee’s remarks. The investigation related to the questioning remains ongoing.

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India News

DMK attacks Rahul Gandhi, accuses him of weakening opposition unity

DMK has intensified its criticism of Rahul Gandhi, alleging that the Congress leader’s actions have weakened opposition unity and strained relations within the INDIA bloc.

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Rahul-Gandhi

The war of words between the DMK and Congress has intensified, with the DMK launching a strong attack on Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and accusing him of contributing to divisions within the opposition alliance. The criticism comes amid strained ties between the two parties following their political split in Tamil Nadu.

According to the DMK, Rahul Gandhi’s political approach has weakened unity among opposition parties. The party’s IT wing mocked the Congress leader on social media, while an editorial published in the DMK’s official mouthpiece Murasoli questioned his recent remarks on opposition solidarity.

DMK questions Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on opposition unity

In its editorial, Murasoli argued that Rahul Gandhi was speaking about opposition unity despite, according to the DMK, contributing to disagreements among alliance partners in several states. The publication cited criticism directed at Congress by various opposition parties and suggested that the party’s actions had often created tensions within the INDIA bloc.

The editorial also referred to past political disputes involving Congress and Left parties, particularly in Kerala, claiming such episodes had raised concerns among opposition allies about Congress’s approach toward its partners.

Tamil Nadu political fallout adds to tensions

The attack comes after a major political realignment in Tamil Nadu. Following the 2026 Assembly elections, Congress ended its alliance with the DMK and joined the government led by Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK). The move left the DMK in the opposition and significantly altered the political equation between the two former allies.

The DMK has alleged that Congress benefited from the alliance during the election and later abandoned its partner. The party’s editorial questioned whether assurances from Congress leadership would be trusted by alliance partners after the developments in Tamil Nadu.

Congress rejects allegations

Congress has not issued a detailed official response to the editorial, but party sources have rejected the allegations. According to the party, its decisions in Tamil Nadu were made in line with the mandate delivered by voters and were not intended to undermine either the DMK or the broader opposition alliance.

The latest exchange highlights growing strains between two key opposition parties even as leaders continue to stress cooperation on national issues. Just days earlier, Rahul Gandhi had said that the DMK remained aligned with the opposition on defending the “idea of India” despite political differences.

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Entertainment

Kumkum Bhagya actor Sanchita Ugale dies by suicide near Mumbai at 22

Television actor Sanchita Ugale, known for Kumkum Bhagya and Wagle Ki Duniya, died by suicide at her residence near Mumbai. Police have launched an investigation.

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Sanchita Ugale

Television actor Sanchita Ugale, known for her appearances in Kumkum Bhagya, Wagle Ki Duniya and Dilwali Dulha Le Jayegi, died by suicide at her residence in Nalasopara East near Mumbai on June 14. She was 22.

According to police officials, the incident took place at her home in Achole village, Nalasopara East. Authorities said Ugale had locked herself inside her bedroom and was later found hanging from a ceiling fan. Family members and local residents rushed her to a hospital, where doctors declared her dead.

Police have registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) and launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death. Officials said inquiries are underway and the exact reason behind the incident has not yet been established.

Career across television, OTT and films

Ugale had built a growing presence in the entertainment industry through television, streaming projects and films. Apart from Kumkum Bhagya and Wagle Ki Duniya, she played a lead role in Dilwali Dulha Le Jayegi. She also appeared in OTT projects such as Crime Aaj Kal and Silence 2.

The actor was also associated with the film Chhaava, which contributed to her growing recognition among audiences.

Last social media post draws attention

Following news of her death, social media users shared and commented on Ugale’s final Instagram post, which had been uploaded hours before the incident. The post showed the actor in traditional attire lip-syncing to a classic Bollywood song. Fans expressed shock and grief after learning of her death.

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