The Supreme Court on Thursday granted interim protection to Trinamul Congress leader Sheikh Sufiyan from arrest in a case registered by the CBI in connection with a murder following the publication of Assembly poll results in Bengal in May.

Sufiyan is accused by the CBI in the murder of BJP activist Debarata Maity. Sufiyan was Mamata Banerjee’s election agent in Nandigram.

A bench of Justice L. Nageswara Rao and B.R. Gavai granted protection to Sufiyan while brushing aside objections raised by solicitor general Tushar Mehta who appeared for the CBI. Mehta pleaded that no relief be granted to the Trinamul leader since the accused was allegedly involved in a serious case of murder.

Justice Rao, who headed the bench, said: “Mr Mehta, please don’t bring politics into this.”

Mehta opposed any stay on the arrest saying the accused was a powerful personality.