State Government Reconstitutes Legal Panel for Calcutta High Court

MP, May 21, 2026, Kolkata: The West Bengal government has announced a fresh set of appointments to key legal positions representing the state before the Calcutta High Court, days after the entire panel effectively fell vacant following the Assembly election results. However, the crucial post of Advocate General — the state’s top law officer — remains undecided.

Senior advocate Rajdeep Mazumder has been appointeAdditional Advocate General, while senior advocate Nilanjan Bhattacharyya will serve as Senior Standing Counsel. The government has also named senior advocate Dibyendra Narayan Ray as Government Pleader, senior advocate Nand Gopal Khaitan as Advocate-on-Record on the Original Side, and senior advocate Kallol Mondal as Public Prosecutor.

The appointments come amid efforts to restore the functioning of the state’s legal representation before the High Court.

Former Advocate General Kishore Datta resigned shortly after the declaration of the Assembly poll results on May 4. Several state panel lawyers subsequently stepped down, leaving the government without a formal legal panel since May 5.

The High Court had been informed of the situation and was requested to defer matters involving the state until the new panel was constituted.

Mazumder had earlier served as Deputy Solicitor General of India at the Calcutta High Court and was designated a senior advocate in 2024.

Bhattacharyya is known for his practice in constitutional and service matters, while Ray, a senior advocate from the appellate side, has handled cases relating to property and pension disputes.

Ray’s name had earlier been recommended for elevation to the bench before the proposal was later returned by the Supreme Court Collegium.