Foreign national remark: Former Trinamool leader Vinay Mishra sends notice to BJP's Suvendu Adhikari

New Delhi: Former Trinamool Congress (TMC) youth wing general secretary Vinay Mishra, who is facing an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in cattle and coal smuggling cases, has sent a legal notice to BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari through his lawyer.

In the legal notice, Vinay Mishra wrote that he had left India on September 16, 2020, much prior to when the CBI initiated a case against him in cattle and coal smuggling cases. At the time, he was appointed as the Trinamool youth wing general secretary and was a citizen of India. 

He had resigned from the post of General Secretary prior to the surrendering of his passport on December 19, 2020.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has issued a red corner notice against Mishra in a case of cattle smuggling. On June 7, during a hearing, Mishra's lawyers filed an affidavit stating he renounced his citizenship on December 19 last year by filing an application at the Indian Consulate in Dubai. The application was accepted on December 22, the affidavit said.

Abhishek Manu Singhvi, the senior advocate appearing for Mishra, submitted that there is lack of jurisdiction as there is no consent granted by the state of West Bengal to the CBI to investigate the matter. He further submitted that although the FIR was registered in 2020, the incident referred to therein is of the period between 2015 and 2017 and that Mishra was neither named in the FIR nor in the initial charge sheet.

Mishra prayed for modification of an order the Calcutta High Court passed on April 22, wherein he was directed to be present before the CBI on May 3 and a conditional immunity from arrest was granted to him till the first week after the summer vacation of the High Court. He prayed that he be allowed to join the investigation through video conferencing owing to the pandemic, claiming that he will appear before the CBI personally after travel restrictions are eased and the situation ebbs.

Mishra prayed for protection from arrest till disposal of his petition before the high court and cancellation of the application for red corner notice with Interpol against him.

Mishra stated in his application for modification before the high court that he had renounced his Indian citizenship on December 19, 2020. He further claimed that one of the principal reasons for which he had to leave India was 'due to constant life threats from the members of BJP to join their party'.

Mishra stated that owing to his bad health condition and current curbs on international travel, he could not appear before the CBI on May 3 as directed by the High Court. He further claimed that his request to appear before the CBI through the virtual mode had been turned down by the agency.