The Calcutta High Court has granted interim protection from coercive action to Trinamool Congress Member of Parliament Kirti Azad in connection with an alleged extortion case. The Court observed, at the prima facie stage, that the allegations against Azad did not appear to have substance on the basis of an audio recording that was played before the Court during the proceedings. At the same time, the Court directed Azad to cooperate with the investigation being conducted by the West Bengal Criminal Investigation Department.
Justice Kausik Chanda passed the interim order while considering Azad's petition in the case. Although the Court granted him protection from coercive action, it made the protection subject to his cooperation with the ongoing investigation. The Court specifically directed Azad to appear before the CID at Bhabani Bhawan at noon for questioning. The Court further provided that if the investigating agency required his presence for questioning on any subsequent occasion, Azad would have to be given seven days' prior notice.
The proceedings arose from allegations made by a businessman concerning an alleged demand for money. According to the allegations placed before the Court, an associate of Kirti Azad had allegedly demanded ₹15 lakh from the businessman. The allegation was that the businessman was threatened with the closure of his cooking gas distribution business if he did not pay the demanded amount.
An audio recording purportedly connected with the alleged incident was presented before the High Court during the hearing. The recording formed part of the material considered by the Court while examining the allegations against Azad at the interim stage. After hearing the matter and considering the audio recording played before it, the Court observed that, prima facie, it did not find substance in the allegations made against Azad.
Despite this observation, the Court did not bring the investigation to an end. Instead, it directed Azad to cooperate with the CID investigation. The interim protection from coercive action was therefore accompanied by a requirement that he participate in the investigative process. The Court specifically directed him to appear before the investigating agency at Bhabani Bhawan and also laid down the requirement of prior notice for any further questioning.
The matter concerns allegations of extortion arising from the alleged demand for ₹15 lakh. The businessman alleged that the demand was connected with a threat to shut down his cooking gas distribution business if the amount was not paid. The allegations were considered in the context of the audio recording that was placed before the Court. The Court's prima facie observation concerning the lack of substance in the allegations against Azad was based on the recording presented during the proceedings.
The High Court's interim order thus provided protection to Azad while preserving the investigation being conducted by the West Bengal CID. The Court did not direct the investigating agency to stop its inquiry. Instead, it required Azad to cooperate with the investigation and specifically fixed his appearance before the CID. The directions regarding seven days' prior notice for any future questioning also formed part of the interim protection granted to him.
The Court also directed the investigating agency to submit a report after six weeks. The matter is to be considered again after the report is submitted. The Court therefore kept the proceedings open for further consideration following the investigation report. A detailed order in the matter is awaited.
The case has been registered as CRR/3764/2026, with Kirti Vardhan Azad as the petitioner and the State of West Bengal and another party as respondents. The proceedings before the High Court concern the allegations made against Azad in relation to the alleged extortion case and his request for protection from coercive action.
The allegations centre on the businessman who claimed that an associate of Azad had sought ₹15 lakh from him. The alleged demand was accompanied, according to the complaint, by a threat that his cooking gas distribution business would be closed if he failed to pay the amount. The audio recording said to relate to the alleged incident was subsequently placed before the High Court and played during the hearing.
After considering the recording, Justice Kausik Chanda observed that the allegations against Azad did not appear to have substance at the prima facie stage. This observation formed the basis for the Court's decision to grant interim protection from coercive action. However, the Court simultaneously made it clear through its directions that Azad was required to cooperate with the investigation.
Azad was directed to appear before the CID at Bhabani Bhawan at noon for the purpose of the ongoing investigation. The Court also addressed the possibility of further questioning by the investigating agency. It directed that if the CID required Azad to appear again for questioning, seven days' prior notice would have to be provided to him.
The interim order therefore established specific conditions governing the investigation. While Azad received protection from coercive action, he was not exempted from participating in the investigative process. His appearance before the CID was specifically directed by the Court, and the investigating agency was permitted to continue its inquiry into the allegations.
The Court further directed the investigating agency to submit its report after six weeks. The case is expected to be taken up again following the submission of that report. The interim order consequently does not represent the final determination of the allegations. The proceedings remain pending before the High Court, with the investigation continuing under the directions issued by the Court.
The allegations in the case relate specifically to the alleged demand of ₹15 lakh from the businessman. The businessman claimed that an associate of Azad made the demand and threatened that his cooking gas distribution business would be shut down if the money was not paid. The audio recording allegedly connected with the incident was relied upon during the proceedings and was played before the Court.
The High Court's prima facie assessment of the recording led it to observe that it did not find substance in the allegations against Azad. Nevertheless, the Court chose to allow the investigation to continue. The requirement for Azad to cooperate with the CID and appear before the agency formed an important part of the relief granted by the Court.
The Court's direction regarding advance notice also specified the procedure for any future questioning. If the investigating agency requires Azad's presence again, he must receive seven days' prior notice. This direction was issued along with the interim protection from coercive action.
The Court has therefore allowed the investigation to proceed while protecting Azad against coercive action at the interim stage. The investigation remains with the West Bengal CID, and the agency has been directed to place its report before the Court after six weeks. The matter will then be considered further.
The High Court's proceedings were confined to the allegations arising from the alleged extortion case and the request for interim protection. The Court's observation regarding the audio recording was expressly at the prima facie stage. The final determination of the allegations remains pending, and the investigation is continuing.
Azad's appearance before the CID is part of the directions issued by the Court while granting the interim relief. He has been required to cooperate with the investigation and attend the agency at Bhabani Bhawan. The investigating agency retains the ability to seek his presence for further questioning, subject to the Court's direction requiring seven days' prior notice.
The case will therefore continue after the investigating agency submits its report. Until then, the interim protection granted to Azad remains accompanied by the conditions imposed by the High Court. The Court's prima facie observation concerning the allegations was based on the audio recording presented during the hearing, while the factual allegations themselves remain subject to the ongoing investigation.
The High Court's order has thus provided interim relief to Kirti Azad in the alleged extortion case while directing him to cooperate with the CID. The allegations arose from a businessman's claim that an associate of Azad demanded ₹15 lakh and threatened the closure of his cooking gas distribution business if the demand was not met. An audio recording purportedly related to the incident was played before the Court. After considering it, the Court observed that, prima facie, the allegations against Azad did not appear to have substance.
The Court nevertheless directed Azad to appear before the CID at Bhabani Bhawan and cooperate with the investigation. It further directed that any future requirement for his presence for questioning would have to be communicated to him seven days in advance. The investigating agency has been directed to submit its report after six weeks, following which the matter is expected to be considered again. A detailed order is awaited.
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