Tripura HC issues notices to 22 IPAC members for not cooperating in probe; TMC petition on civic polls dismissed

Agartala (Tripura) [India], November 24 (ANI): Tripura High Court on Wednesday issued notices to 22 employees of the Indian Political Action Committee (IPAC), an agency that chalks out poll strategies for political parties, for non-cooperation in the police probe against them.
The High Court single bench led by Justice SG Chattopadhyay also gave an ultimatum of two weeks to reply to the notices issued individually through register post along with email address.
Advocate General Tripura Siddhartha Shankar Dey said, "The state of Tripura filed an application before the High Court seeking cancellation of bail granted to 22 IPAC members or employees. They came here and got arrested under bailable sections for violation of certain laws. They have been asked to get bail from the police station but they refused to do that and instead approached the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court West Tripura for bail and subsequently their bail application was granted".
However, he said, they did not cooperate in the police probe initiated against them.
"Two notices were served under CrPC section 41(A) but they neither responded to the notices nor they appeared before the police for the last one month. So, there is no other way left for the police to appeal before the judiciary to seek cancellation of the bails as they are apparently violating the conditions of the bail," he said.
"The High Court has issued notices returnable by December 8 next", Dey told ANI in an exclusive interaction. The IPAC members were detained by Tripura police on July 26 last from a private hotel for breaking the COVID norms as the pandemic situation was a bit alarming then.
Meanwhile, hearing a separate petition moved by All India Trinamool Congress, the High Court has turned down the party's appeal for installation of VVPAT machines and CCTV cameras in the polling booths. "As it appears, the Trinamool Congress did not divulge the fact before the High Court that a similar petition was being heard in the Apex Court."
However, the High Court took note of the Supreme Court judgement and cited two constitutional bars that prevent the judiciary from intervening in the poll process.
"According to Article 243 (Z)(G) of the Indian Constitution and section 68 of Tripura Municipal Act, the judiciary generally keeps its hands away from the elections. The Court has dismissed the petition and hence their appeal for installation of VVPAT and CCTV in the polling booths are also closed", said the Advocate General.
The case was heard in the division bench of Chief Justice Indrajit Mahanty and Justice SG Chattopadhyay. (ANI)