The Calcutta High Court has directed the West Bengal government to inform it on Friday about the action taken after an attack at the East Jadavpur residence of lawyer and CPI(M) leader Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, amid concerns raised over the safety of lawyers facing politically sensitive cases.
The direction was issued on Thursday by a division bench led by Chief Justice Rabindra V. Ghuge after lawyer Kalyan Banerjee drew the court’s attention to the incident and sought action against attacks on members of the legal profession. The state has been asked to explain what steps have been taken in the case and in other reported attacks involving lawyers.
According to the report by Sangbad Pratidin, a masked man allegedly attacked Bhattacharya’s house in the morning, throwing liquor bottles and breaking window glass. The attacker was also reported to have shouted abusive remarks while taking Bhattacharya’s name. Images of the incident were captured by the house’s CCTV cameras.
During the hearing, Banerjee said that the issue was not limited to lawyers and questioned the police and intelligence agencies over the alleged attack from outside the legal community. He also said that lawyers who oppose the state government were in a vulnerable situation and referred to the possibility of seeking a cessation of work.
The Chief Justice responded that he would ultimately oppose such a work stoppage, while identifying himself as a lawyer. The court also discussed earlier attacks involving lawyers Kalyan Banerjee and Shamim Ahmed, and asked what had happened after first information reports were registered in those cases.
The Additional Advocate General appearing for the state told the court that the police would take sure action. During the exchange, he referred to an earlier incident in which slogans were raised outside a judge’s residence during the previous government’s tenure.
The court observed that security at the High Court could be increased, but also said it was not possible to station police personnel outside everyone’s home. The discussion therefore extended beyond the immediate damage at Bhattacharya’s residence to the limits of institutional security and the state’s response to threats against legal practitioners.
The attack has drawn condemnation from leaders of the Trinamool Congress, including Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, according to the report. The state is required to place details of the action taken before the division bench on Friday, making that submission the next formal step in the proceedings.
