HC tells police to identify persons ‘maligning’ judge during protest

MP, 28 Apr 2025, Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Monday directed the Kolkata Police to identify those who allegedly made derogatory comments about Justice Biswajit Basu during protest demonstrations by a group of people against senior advocate and CPI(M) Rajya Sabha member Bikas Ranjan Bhattacharya. 

The attention of the bench of Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Justice Chaitali Chatterjee (Das) also directed the city Police Commissioner, Manoj Kumar Verma, to submit a report to the court on how, in the presence of police, the judiciary and courts had been subjected to such attacks. 

The court’s attention on Monday was drawn by the Calcutta High Court Bar Association which is learnt to have also filed a contempt of court petition. 

The petitioners pointed out that following last week’s violent protests in front of Bhattacharya’s chamber, an air of panic had been created among the advocates practising at the Calcutta High Court. “Orders prohibiting assembly of more than a specific number of persons are imposed in the entire area in the vicinity of the Calcutta High Court. 

In such a situation, how could the police allow the gathering of the crowd that protested last week? While the demonstrations were going on, the policemen posted in the area acted like puppets and refrained from taking any action for almost four hours. Justice Basu was maligned during those protests,” one of the petitioners argued. 

The court, while admitting the petition, observed that such actions against the court and judges were simply unacceptable. It was further observed that there were options for approaching higher courts and higher benches against any order or verdict.
The protest happened last week in front of Bhattacharya’s chamber on the court premises. The protestors accused the senior advocate of being instrumental in the cancellation of jobs of candidates by the court. They allegedly used derogatory language against Justice Basu. 

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/cm-digha-poised-to-become-intnl-tourist-destination-serve-as-place-of-harmony-608553