The Calcutta High Court on Friday directed the Commissioner of Kolkata Police to file a detailed report regarding the alleged heckling of lawyers near the High Court premises on April 25, and to ensure adequate protection for members of the legal fraternity.
A special three-judge bench, constituted by Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam, asked the police chief to identify those responsible for the incident and to conduct an inquiry into the matter. The bench, comprising Justices Arijit Banerjee, Sabyasachi Bhattacharyya, and Rajarshi Bharadwaj, also directed that steps be taken to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The court instructed the commissioner to preserve CCTV footage of the incident, which reportedly occurred at the junction of Kiran Shankar Roy Road and Old Post Office Street, adjacent to the High Court, and to submit a report by May 19.
Taking suo motu cognisance of the incident, the bench observed that it prima facie amounted to criminal contempt by interfering with the administration of justice and scandalising the judiciary. Notices were ordered to be issued to eight alleged contemnors, named in a petition, and they have been allowed two weeks to respond.
The incident came to light when several advocates informed the Chief Justice’s bench on April 28 that senior advocate Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya and his associates were allegedly “gheraoed and heckled” by a mob outside their chambers opposite the High Court. The lawyers claimed the mob may have had links to certain litigants.
Following these submissions, the High Court directed that notices be issued to the offices of the Advocate General, the Additional Solicitor General, and the secretaries of the Bar Association, the Bar Library Club, and the Incorporated Law Society.
