Calcutta High Court seeks police SOP on social media posts targeting judges

MP, May 24, 2026, Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court has directed the West Bengal Director General of Police to place before it a report on whether the state police has any Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for taking action against “grossly offensive” and “contumacious” social media posts targeting judges and courts.

Justice Jay Sengupta passed the order on May 21 while hearing a criminal revision petition filed by Hindu monk Swami Pradiptananda, alias Kartik Maharaj, who has sought quashing of rape charges levelled against him in a case registered at Nabagram police station.

While examining the petition and documents placed before the court, the judge referred to certain YouTube videos which allegedly made “wanton aspersions” against the High Court.

The order noted that on a day when the bench had not assembled, videos circulated online claiming that adverse developments were taking place “behind closed doors”.

The court also recorded that there were “defamatory and contumacious outbursts” directed at judges of the High Court in general and observed that several other videos were “very disturbing indeed”.

Justice Sengupta directed the DGP to file a report within four weeks clarifying whether any SOP exists for dealing with such “grossly offensive, evidently false and contumacious social media posts”, including procedures for removal of the content.

In the case lodged at Nabagram police station, a woman accused Kartik Maharaj of repeatedly raping her after offering her a teaching job at a school run under Bharat Sevashram Sangha.

The monk has denied the allegations and claimed political targeting.

The matter will next be heard on June 22.