New Delhi, Jan 12 (Reporter) The Supreme Court on Friday granted interim protection from arrest to Union Minister of State for Home and BJP MP Nisith Pramanik in an attempt-to-murder case registered against him in West Bengal. A bench of Justice Bela M. Trivedi and Justice Pankaj Mithal directed the state of West Bengal not to take any coercive action against Pramanik until the next date of hearing in the anticipatory bail plea filed by him before the Calcutta High Court. The anticipatory bail plea of Nisith Pramanik is slated to be heard by the Calcutta High Court on January 22, and the apex court has directed expeditious disposal of the same. The protection order will until the Calcutta High Court hears his petition, the SC bench said. The matter pertains to an incident when a Cooch Behar resident was shot at in 2018, allegedly at the behest of Pramanik, who was the Union Sports and Home Minister of State and a leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) then. The police had subsequently registered a criminal case against him for offences under the Arms Act and for attempted murder. Pramanik then filed a plea for anticipatory bail before the Calcutta High Court, which was adjourned on January 4. Senior Advocate PS Patwalia, appearing for the BJP leader yesterday, explained the urgency of seeking Pramanik's bail as apprehension of an imminent arrest is there. Patwalia said that the political situation in the State of West Bengal was 'volatile', as Pramanik had moved to the Bhartiya Janata Party from the Trinamool Congress. “He is also a minister of state and is apprehending the arrest, the lawyer said. Pramanik's plea before the Supreme Court was filed through advocate Siddhesh Shirish Kotwal. During the proceedings today, Senior Advocate PS Patwalia and Advocate Bansuri Swaraj appeared for Pramanik and sought protection until the matter was listed before the Calcutta High Court. Representing the West Bengal government, Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan pointed out that the petitioner could have approached the Chief Justice of the High Court for relief. However, he assured the court that no arrest would be made despite the absence of a recorded undertaking. After the court directed expeditious disposal of the matter, Patwalia pressed for interim protection, while Sankaranarayanan argued that given the number of cases, Pramanik could have been arrested long ago. The court clarified that it has said nothing on the merits of the matter and ordered that no coercive action be taken against the BJP minister until the anticipatory bail plea is listed before the Calcutta High Court...////...