The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday rejected a public interest litigation seeking action against former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over remarks she allegedly made regarding the killing of a Bangladeshi activist, ruling that the petition was not maintainable.
A division bench presided over by Chief Justice Ravindra Vithalrao Ghuge dismissed the plea, which had been filed by an advocate in connection with statements Banerjee purportedly made during a political rally in Kolkata.
State Reports No Cognisable Offence
The ruling followed an earlier inquiry report submitted by the West Bengal government, which concluded that the former chief minister’s speech did not disclose any cognisable offence.
Additional Advocate General Rajdeep Majumder, appearing on behalf of the state, informed the court that official inquiries verified the petitioner was not present at the venue and that the gathering concluded without any untoward incident.
Petitioner Claimed Breach of Official Secrets Act
The petition arose from remarks allegedly delivered on June 2 concerning the December 2025 murder of Bangladeshi activist Sharif Osman Hadi in Dhaka. The petitioner argued that Banerjee’s statements had an adverse impact on India’s national interest and contended that she remained bound by the provisions of the Official Secrets Act.
In response, Banerjee’s legal counsel, Kalyan Bandopadhyay and Arka Kumar Nag, submitted that the petitioner had failed to demonstrate how any section of the Official Secrets Act had been infringed.
Judicial Concerns Over Misuse of PILs
The petition’s validity had previously drawn sharp scrutiny from the court during a hearing on September 1. A division bench led by then Acting Chief Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty questioned why the matter should be entertained as a public interest petition, observing that such legal actions were increasingly being utilized as tactical tools or weapons.
