India, July 2 -- The Calcutta high court on Wednesday directed the West Bengal government not to take any immediate action against 2025 Padma Shri awardee monk, Swami Pradiptananda, against whom the Murshidabad district police had filed a first information report (FIR) last week after a local woman accused him of rape, lawyers who were present in court said.

The court also accepted the monk's request for an in-camera hearing, which is scheduled to begin on Thursday.

Swami Pradiptananda, popularly known as Kartik Maharaj, is head of the Bharat Sevashram Sangha's Beldanga ashram in Murshidabad. Skipping a police summon for interrogation he moved the court on Tuesday, seeking quashing of the FIR.

"The bench of justice Jay Sengupta heard K...