Calcutta HC orders probe after protesters allegedly insult Justice Basu, harass senior lawyer

The Calcutta High Court has directed Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Verma to conduct an investigation into alleged acts of contempt against Justice Biswajit Basu and harassment of senior advocate Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharyya. The directive follows a protest by a group of upper primary job aspirants who demonstrated outside Bhattacharyya’s chamber, alleging undue delay in their recruitment case. The court has asked the police to identify those involved and submit a report by May 19.

The protest stemmed from a legal dispute over the recruitment of upper primary teachers under the supernumerary category. Some petitioners claimed that their case had seen no resolution despite repeated hearings. They alleged that the delay was due to a nexus between Justice Biswajit Basu and advocate Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharyya, which led them to organize the demonstration in the court premises. The protest took place near Bhattacharyya’s chamber, drawing attention to the conduct of the agitating petitioners.

The matter was addressed in the courtroom of Justice Arijit Banerjee on Friday, where the incident was termed “extremely unfortunate.” The judge instructed the police to ensure such incidents do not recur and to protect the safety of lawyers and judicial officers. As part of the inquiry, the court directed notices to be served to eight individuals — Raju Das, Suvendu Das, Atanu Ray, Tapan Kumar Mondal, Chandan Mridha, Shivani Quitty, Sanjoy Bairagi, and Kunal Ghosh. These individuals have been permitted to submit their responses via affidavits.

The court also ordered preservation of CCTV footage from Old Post Office Street and Kiran Shankar Roy Road to assist in the identification process. The directions aim to ensure a thorough probe into the events that occurred within the court complex. The next development in the matter is expected when the police submit their findings on or before May 19.