Calcutta High Court judge issues contempt proceedings against lawyers
The Hindu
A section of protesting lawyers had not allowed him entry to the court on Monday
Justice Rajasekhar Mantha of Calcutta High Court on Tuesday issued suo motu criminal contempt proceedings against a group of lawyers who held protests and blocked his entry to court on Monday.
There was chaos and scuffle outside the courtroom of Justice Mantha on Monday with lawyers not allowing him to enter the court thereby forcing adjournments. Posters against Mr. Mantha had come up on the premises of the High Court and his residence in south Kolkata.
The posters were hurriedly removed by the Kolkata Police on Tuesday and a complaint was filed by Kolkata police though no arrests were made. Meanwhile, Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court Prakash Shrivastava expressed his displeasure over the developments on Monday.
Justice Mantha had in December, 2022 passed an order directing a stay on 26 FIRs filed against Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari. He had also withdrawn protection to Maneka Gambhir, sister-in-law of Trinamool Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.
While the Trinamool Congress leadership said they had nothing to do with the protests and the posters, the Opposition parties blamed the ruling dispensation for the ruckus at the High Court.
“Since the Trinamool is unable to fight legally before the courts they are indulging in plain hooliganism. This is a well-planned conspiracy of the Trinamool,” senior advocate and CPI(M) leader Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya said.
State BJP president Sukanta Majumdar said if the judges of the Calcutta High Court are under so much pressure, one can imagine what is the situation at the district judiciary.
he Tamil Nadu Government will take appropriate decision to protect the welfare and livelihood of Manjolai tea estate workers as Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation, which is managing the tea gardens for the past 90-odd years, is about to wind up its operations in near future, Speaker M. Appavu has said.