Calcutta HC tells Police Commissioner to file report on attack on lawyers, issues contempt notices to eight protestors

A group of 80 to 100 people protested outside the Calcutta High Court premises and allegedly attacked the chambers of senior lawyers Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya and Firdous Samim. File
| Photo Credit: ANI

A three-judge Bench of the Calcutta High Court on Friday (May 2, 2025) issued contempt notices against eight people after a mob allegedly heckled senior lawyers and their staff during an agitation against the High Court’s Justice Biswajit Basu on April 25.

On that evening, a group of 80 to 100 people protested outside the Calcutta High Court premises and allegedly attacked the chambers of senior lawyers Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya and Firdous Samim.

Earlier that day, Justice Basu had sought a response from the State and the West Bengal School Service Commission on the creation of supernumerary posts for physical education and work education teachers. Mr. Samim and Mr. Bhattacharya were appearing for petitioners challenging the creation of supernumerary posts.

Terrified lawyers, staff

“The mob comprised teachers who were recommended for these supernumerary posts. They sat on the road with pictures of me, Mr. Bhattacharya and Justice Biswajit Basu, hurled profanities against us, stomped on the pictures and behaved in extremely unruly ways. They threatened to get the case transferred from this court,” Mr. Samim alleged. 

Mr. Samim told The Hindu that the protestors had agitated for nearly four hours outside the court and the advocates’ chambers. He alleged that they had thrown stones, water bottles and shoes at the lawyers, making them and their staff terrified to leave their offices.

Criminal contempt

“Prima facie, we are of the view that criminal contempt has been committed in this case by the alleged contemnors by interfering with due administration of justice and scandalizing the judiciary… Hence, let notice be issued to the 8 alleged contemnors…,” the Bench, comprising Justice Arijit Banerjee, Justice Sabyasachi Bhattacharyya, and Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj, observed on Friday.

The court also directed the Kolkata Police Commissioner to file a report on the incident by May 19. “The Commissioner of Police is also requested to ensure due protection to all the members of the profession and to see that the unfortunate incident or the like does not recur,” the court order reads.

Additionally, the police chief has also been directed to identify the people involved in the ‘mob’ and preserve CCTV footage of the area adjoining Kiran Shankar Roy Road and Old Post Office Street in Kolkata from April 25 between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m., when the incident unfolded. 

Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam had taken suo motu cognisance of the incident shortly after, and constituted the three-judge Bench to hear the matter.

‘Hinders justice’

“We believe the courts exist to keep the country’s legal procedures in place, and as such, scandalising and disrespecting the judiciary should not be tolerated,” Mr. Samim said.

“The court has taken cognisance of the fact that such activities hinder the administration of justice… the court has given them time to respond, if their response is not deemed satisfactory the court can administer punishment for contempt,” Mr Bhattacharya told The Hindu. 

He added that while he was not present in his chambers during the agitation, his juniors were heckled by the mob.