Representative image. Mainakchatterjee.tech, CC0, Wikimedia Commons
हिन्दी में सारांश Summary in Hindi
- ंतरिम राहत की मांग पर जल्द विचार करने को कहा।
- पनी याचिका का उल्लेख कर सकते हैं।
- याचिका में जांच एजेंसियों को मीडिया से जानकारी साझा करने से रोकने और जांच से जुड़ी खबरों पर रोक की मांग है।
বাংলায় সারাংশ Summary in Bangla
- ন্তর্বর্তী নির্দেশের আর্জি দ্রুত বিবেচনা করতে বলেছে।
- দুর্গাপুজো ও দীপাবলির ছুটির পর ১৬ নভেম্বর হাইকোর্ট খুললে তিনি মামলাটি উল্লেখ করতে পারবেন।
- আবেদনে তদন্তকারী সংস্থাকে সংবাদমাধ্যমে তথ্য দেওয়া থেকে বিরত রাখা ও তদন্তাধীন বিষয়ে খবর প্রকাশে নিষেধাজ্ঞা চাওয়া হয়েছে।
Why it matters
The plea asks a court to limit what police can tell the press about an ongoing investigation and what outlets can publish about it. The High Court's ruling on the interim request will settle whether any such limits apply to cases against a senior Trinamool Congress MP from West Bengal while the probes continue.
The Supreme Court on 3 November 2026 asked the Calcutta High Court to take up a request from Abhishek Banerjee, the Trinamool Congress MP from West Bengal, for interim relief in his plea against what he calls a media trial. Banerjee, who represents Diamond Harbour in the Lok Sabha, wants police officials stopped from passing details of investigations against him to the press. The top court did not decide that request itself. It said he may raise the matter in the High Court as soon as that court reopens on 16 November after its Durga Puja and Diwali holidays.
A bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana heard the special leave petition, filed against Union of India and others. The order, as quoted by the legal news site Verdictum, asks the High Court to consider the prayer for interim relief “at the earliest”. NewsPlainly could not open the order on the Supreme Court website, so this report relies on LiveLaw, Verdictum and PTI.
What the Abhishek Banerjee media trial plea asks for
According to PTI, the petition seeks an order barring investigating agencies from sharing his personal information with media organisations. It also asks for directions restraining news outlets from reporting on matters that are part of the ongoing investigations against him. LiveLaw reported that his lawyer also sought take-down orders against published reports.
Banerjee alleges that the investigating officer has selectively leaked details of searches, questioning and other legal steps to a section of the media. He argues, PTI reported, that such leaks breach his rights to dignity, reputation and a fair investigation under Article 21 of the Constitution, which protects life and personal liberty, and that they could influence the investigations. These are his allegations; no court has ruled on them yet.
ETV Bharat, a news network, which reported on his move to the Supreme Court on 30 October, said the petition cites guidelines on reporting matters under investigation that were notified on 7 February 2024 after a 2023 Calcutta High Court direction. Banerjee says outlets have continued to publish speculative reports despite them, ETV Bharat reported.
As an example, the petition points to coverage of his questioning in June at Bhawani Bhawan in a case over alleged forged signatures of MLAs linked to the appointment of the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly. ETV Bharat said he named several national and regional media houses as parties and, as an alternative prayer, asked that the media be told not to publish reports that could affect the probe.
Why the Supreme Court sent the plea back to Calcutta High Court
Banerjee went to the Supreme Court because, he said, the High Court had not heard his plea urgently. Senior advocate Shoeb Alam, appearing for him, told the bench that the writ petition was filed in the High Court in September, LiveLaw reported. When it was first taken up, the bench found the matter was not within its roster, Alam said, and he had mentioned it three times since without a hearing.
Alam described this as a continuing violation of Banerjee’s rights, with reports about him appearing every day, according to LiveLaw and PTI. He argued that the Supreme Court has held in several judgments that a media trial cannot take away a person’s presumption of innocence. He also told the bench he would make a fresh request for urgent consideration in the High Court.
The bench noted the High Court’s reopening date and left the interim relief question to it. That means the Supreme Court has neither granted nor refused the restraint Banerjee wants on police disclosures or news reports. The reports read by NewsPlainly (LiveLaw, Verdictum and PTI) did not include a response from the West Bengal Police or from the media houses named in the petition.
Timeline: from September filing to 16 November
The media trial plea runs alongside a separate set of criminal cases in which the High Court has already given Banerjee interim protection. Put together from LiveLaw, Verdictum, PTI and ETV Bharat reports, the key dates are:
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| Late August 2026 (reported 25 August) | Justice Saugata Bhattacharya of the Calcutta High Court orders no coercive action against Banerjee in three FIRs till 30 November or further orders, with 48 hours’ notice before questioning |
| September 2026 | Banerjee files the writ petition against alleged leaks and media reporting in the High Court |
| 8 October 2026 | Justice Krishna Rao says the plea should go to the bench that handles police action |
| Reported 13 October 2026 | Justice Saugata Bhattacharya says it cannot be heard before the Puja vacation; LiveLaw reported it was put in the December 2026 monthly list |
| Reported 30 October 2026 | Banerjee moves the Supreme Court |
| 3 November 2026 | Supreme Court asks the High Court to consider interim relief at the earliest |
| 16 November 2026 | Calcutta High Court reopens; Banerjee may mention the plea |
| 23 November 2026 | FIR cases listed; police to file a progress report on the investigation |
| 30 November 2026 | Interim protection in the three FIRs runs till this date unless extended |
One gap in the reporting: ETV Bharat said the High Court had scheduled the media plea for November, while LiveLaw’s 13 October report said it was placed in the December monthly list. The Supreme Court’s request means Banerjee can now ask for an earlier hearing on interim relief when the court reopens.
What happens next in the Calcutta High Court
Banerjee’s lawyers can mention the plea before the High Court bench on 16 November and ask it to hear the interim relief request. Whether that bench grants any order against police disclosures or news reports is for the High Court to decide, and the Supreme Court gave no view on the merits.
In the separate FIR matters, the High Court listed the cases for 23 November, when the police are to place a progress report before it, LiveLaw reported in August. Banerjee’s protection from coercive action in those three cases runs till 30 November or until further orders. The court had also said his custodial interrogation was not needed at that stage and directed him to cooperate with the investigation.
Banerjee is accused in those cases and has not been found guilty of any offence. For more court and government news from the state, see NewsPlainly’s West Bengal page, including our report on the Calcutta High Court’s order on sharing a video about Adani.
Frequently asked questions
What did the Supreme Court say on Abhishek Banerjee's media trial plea?
On 3 November 2026 it asked the Calcutta High Court to consider his prayer for interim relief at the earliest and let him mention the matter when the High Court reopens on 16 November. It did not decide the plea itself.
What does Abhishek Banerjee want in his plea?
According to PTI and LiveLaw, he wants investigating agencies barred from sharing details of probes against him with the media, directions restraining reports on matters under investigation, and take-down orders against published reports.
Why did he go to the Supreme Court?
His lawyer Shoeb Alam told the court the High Court had not heard the plea urgently: it was filed in September, found to be outside one bench's roster, and mentioned three times since.
Is Abhishek Banerjee protected from arrest?
In a separate matter, the Calcutta High Court ordered no coercive action against him in three FIRs till 30 November or further orders, LiveLaw reported in August. He has not been found guilty of any offence.