Kolkata, 19 January (H.S.): The Calcutta High Court on Monday declined to entertain a plea filed by suspended Trinamool Congress MLA and founder of the newly formed Janata Unnayan Party, Humayun Kabir, seeking ‘Z-plus’ category security cover from the Central Armed Police Forces.

A single bench of Justice Suvra Ghosh advised Kabir to directly approach the Ministry of Home Affairs, observing that the authority to decide the nature and level of security to be provided to any individual rests with the Union Home Ministry. The court made it clear that the ministry is the competent authority in such matters.

During the hearing, the court noted that security cover is determined on the basis of threat perception and assessment carried out by the concerned agencies, and that judicial intervention in such matters would not be appropriate.

Kabir, the MLA from Bharatpur constituency in Murshidabad district of West Bengal, had claimed in his petition that the state government had failed to provide him with adequate security despite an alleged threat to his life.

It may be recalled that Kabir had on several occasions drawn criticism from the Trinamool Congress leadership for his public statements. He was eventually suspended from the party following a controversial remark related to the Babri Masjid. Subsequently, Kabir floated his own political outfit, the Janata Unnayan Party, and expressed intent to explore alliances with non-BJP and non-Trinamool political parties. However, no political party has so far announced any alliance with his outfit.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh