Protima Dutta Vs N Venu Gopal Addl Director in the CBI — Calcutta HC (2025) — LawSathi Research

Protima Dutta Vs N Venu Gopal Addl Director in the CBI — Calcutta HC (2025) — LawSathi Research

What the court decided

AI extract

Outcome

Contempt application disposed of with a request to the CBI to complete the fresh investigation expeditiously, preferably by the end of the year; petitioner at liberty to pursue further remedies in respect of the investigation in accordance with law and to submit further documents to aid the investigation, with continued co-operation to the CBI; rule, if any, discharged; no order as to costs.

Issue for consideration

Whether the contempt application seeking completion of the CBI's fresh investigation should be disposed of, and what directions should issue to the CBI and what liberty be preserved to the petitioner.

Court's answer

The Central Bureau of Investigation was requested to complete the fresh-investigation process as expeditiously as possible, preferably at the end of this year.

Ratio / Principle

The petitioner may pursue any further remedies in respect of the investigation in accordance with law, may submit any further documents to the CBI to aid the investigation, and shall continue to extend all co-operation to the CBI in the conduct of the investigation.

Key takeaways

With the aforesaid observations, the instant contempt application stands disposed of; rule, if any, stands discharged; and there will be no order as to costs.ratio¶21

Detailed headnote1 paragraphs

Contempt application (CPAN 208 of 2025) by Protima Dutta against N. Venu Gopal, Additional Director, CBI, arising out of W.P.A. No. 12526 of 2012, disposed of by Rajasekhar Mantha, J. on 19.03.2025. The learned DSGI representing the CBI submitted that the fresh investigation had progressed substantially, a number of witnesses had been examined, and much evidence had been lost owing to the lapse of about 14 years since the incident; the CBI would thereafter either take up the matter with the concerned Sessions Judge from the 311 stage or commence fresh proceedings by filing a charge-sheet or supplementary charge-sheet. The Court requested the CBI to complete the process as expeditiously as possible, preferably at the end of the year, permitted the petitioner to pursue further remedies in accordance with law and to submit documents to aid the investigation, and directed continued co-operation with the CBI. The contempt application stood disposed of, rule (if any) stood discharged, and there was no order as to costs.

19.03.2025 Court No.13 Item No.10 ap

CPAN 208 of 2025

In

W.P.A. No. 12526 of 2012

With IA NO: CAN 3 of 2013 (Old No: CAN 6852 of 2013) With CAN 4 of 2017 (Old No: CAN 4437 of 2017) With CAN 6 of 2017 (Old No: CAN 7813 of 2017) With CAN 7 of 2017 (Old No: CAN 8721 of 2017) With CAN 8 of 2019 (Old No: CAN 11560 of 2019) With CAN 9 of 2021 With CAN 11 of 2022

Protima Dutta Versus

N. Venu Gopal, Additional Director in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)

Mr. Sabyasachi Chatterjee, Mr. Badrul Karim,

Mr. Dipankar Das

…For the applicant.

Mr. Dhiraj Trivedi, ld. Sr. Advocate & DSG, Mr. Amajit De, Special P.P., CBI.

…For the alleged contemnor.

Mr. Dhiraj Trivedi, learned DSGI represents the Central Bureau of Investigation and submits that investigation has progressed substantially and number of witnesses have been examined. He further submits that due to the passage of about 14 years of the incident, a lot of evidence has been lost.

The Central Bureau of Investigation despite all odds are taking all steps to complete the fresh investigation and shall thereafter either take up the matter with the concerned Sessions Judge from 311

2

stage or may commence fresh proceedings by filing charge-sheet or supplementary charge-sheet.

This is something that is likely to take time.

It is, therefore, requested that the Central Bureau of Investigation shall complete the process as expeditiously as possible, preferably at the end of this year.

The petitioner may pursue any further remedies in respect of the investigation in accordance with law.

Any further documents that the petitioner may wish to submit to the Central Bureau of Investigation to aid in the investigation may so done. The petitioner shall continue to extend all co-operation to the Central Bureau of Investigation in the conduct of the investigation.

With the aforesaid observations, the instant contempt application shall stand disposed of.

Rule, if any, shall also stand discharged.

There will be no order as to costs.

All parties are directed to act on a server copy of this order duly downloaded from the official website of this Court.

(Rajasekhar Mantha, J.)