The Calcutta High Court has withdrawn an interim order that protected Jahangir Khan, the defeated Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate from Falta in South 24 Parganas district, from police action in seven criminal cases he faces.
Justice Partha Sarathi Sen allowed the state to proceed with investigations in the cases registered at Falta police station, saying Khan cannot be allowed to enjoy legal protection.
The protection was granted on May 18, days before the May 21 Falta bypoll, but was withdrawn after the results were declared on May 24.
Khan's lawyers argued that the charges were the fallout of a political vendetta following the TMC's defeat in the assembly polls.
The Bharatiya Janata Party swept the repoll by a record margin of 109,021 votes, while the TMC came in fourth with only 7,783 votes, losing its electoral deposit for the first time since 2011.
