7 cops face contempt in Calcutta HC over 2019 Howrah Court lathi-charge on lawyers

In a significant development, the Calcutta High Court has issued contempt of court proceedings against seven police officers involved in the lathi-charge on lawyers during a 2019 incident at the Howrah Court premises. The court’s division bench, comprising Justice Debangsu Basak and Justice Arindam Mukherjee, confirmed that the officers' actions during the altercation had violated court norms and procedures.

The altercation began over a dispute concerning bike parking and auto access within the Howrah Court complex. In 2019, the situation escalated into chaos, with reports of physical assaults, vandalism, and the use of excessive force by the police. Lawyers from Howrah Court were reportedly involved in a confrontation with Howrah Municipal Corporation staff over the parking issue, which led to violence. In response, the police used lathi-charge, and tear gas was deployed inside the court premises. A tear gas shell reportedly landed in the District Judge's chamber during the incident.

The Calcutta High Court took suo motu cognizance of the incident, and a formal inquiry followed. The seven police officers—Bhavna Gupta, Vishal Garg, VSR Anant Nag, Golam Sarwar, Abhijit Banerjee, Bipin Tamang, and Rajarshi Dutta—were found responsible for the misconduct. The court issued a rule for them to appear personally and provide an explanation for their actions. The next hearing of the case is scheduled for June 25.

The controversy also involved political interference, which reportedly aggravated the situation. A lawyer, Subhashish Chakraborty, described that during the dispute, a politician intervened and directed the lawyers to visit the municipal office to resolve the issue. The lawyers opposed this suggestion and demanded that municipal lawyers visit the court instead. When the situation deteriorated, the police were called in, leading to the violent events.

In the aftermath of the incident, a commission headed by former Justice Kalyan Jyoti Sengupta investigated the matter. The commission’s findings led to the identification of the police officers involved in the misconduct. The court's decision to issue contempt proceedings emphasizes its firm stance on maintaining discipline and ensuring that incidents of violence within judicial premises are appropriately addressed.