The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday returned a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) preliminary inquiry report concerning alleged financial corruption linked to illegal construction in Kolkata, directing the agency to resubmit it according to court procedure. The report relates to construction activity in the Narkeldanga and Beleghata areas and a wider investigation into alleged unauthorised multi-storey buildings.
The report was placed before a division bench headed by Chief Justice Rabindra V. Ghuge. The CBI submitted only one copy of its preliminary inquiry report, although two copies are required for a division bench comprising two judges. After examining the filing, the Chief Justice questioned why the agency had not followed the required administrative protocol.
The court did not accept the report and returned it to the CBI. It directed the agency to submit the report again in accordance with the prescribed procedure. The next hearing is scheduled for December, when the CBI has been directed to place a detailed and final report before the court.
The proceeding is part of a broader inquiry into alleged illegal construction across several Kolkata neighbourhoods. In September, a division bench of the High Court assigned the CBI to investigate more than 50 alleged illegal multi-storey buildings in Rajabazar, Beleghata, Maniktala and Canal East Road areas, according to the report submitted to the court.
The agency is also examining records relating to at least 55 alleged illegal constructions in the jurisdictions of the Narkeldanga and Amherst Street police stations. To conduct the inquiry, the CBI has sought records for 42 constructions from the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. Those documents are expected to form part of the agency’s examination of approvals, construction permissions and other municipal records connected with the buildings.
The case places the spotlight on the administrative chain behind illegal construction in a dense urban environment. Municipal records, building permissions and enforcement action are central to determining whether structures complied with planning and construction rules. The court proceedings, however, remain focused on the inquiry and the report submitted by the investigating agency; the supplied report does not establish final findings of financial corruption or determine responsibility for the alleged violations.
The immediate setback concerns the manner in which the CBI submitted its preliminary report, rather than a final judicial finding on the alleged illegal constructions. The High Court has now set December as the next milestone, when the agency is expected to submit a corrected, detailed and final report in compliance with the bench’s directions.
