An alleged attack on senior advocate Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya’s residence in Kolkata has renewed concern over the safety of lawyers involved in politically sensitive cases, although the CCTV footage cited in the report has not been independently verified and police have not publicly confirmed the identities or motive of the attackers.
According to Anandabazar, Bhattacharya said the incident took place at about 5am at his residence in the East Jadavpur police station area. He alleged that a man arrived on a two-wheeler and threw liquor bottles at the glass windows of the house, while other people were present nearby. The attackers allegedly abused him and issued threats. Bhattacharya also said his domestic worker narrowly escaped injury.
The report said CCTV footage appeared to show a person with his face covered by a cloth arriving on a motorcycle, parking outside the house and taking glass bottles from a bag before throwing them at the building. Audio allegedly captured the person issuing a warning to Bhattacharya. Anandabazar stated that it had not independently verified the authenticity of the footage.
Bhattacharya, a senior lawyer and former Communist Party of India (Marxist) Rajya Sabha member, attributed the alleged attack to Hindutva supporters. Speaking to Anandabazar, he said the incident was an attempt to intimidate people who fought cases on behalf of poorer citizens. These assertions remain allegations and have not been established by an investigating authority in the material supplied for this report.
Bhattacharya said police visited his residence after the incident and that he informed them about how and when the alleged attack took place. The report did not provide details of a registered case, arrests or an official police account. Advocate Firdous Shamim said the matter would be brought to the attention of the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court, Rabindra V. Ghuge.
The incident comes amid allegations of attacks on lawyers in other parts of West Bengal. Lawyers, including Shamim Ahmed, had reportedly alleged that their vehicle was attacked near Benachapara in Paschim Medinipur while they were returning from a visit to displaced families. Another advocate, Sayan Bandyopadhyay, had earlier alleged that eggs were thrown at him while he was appearing for Students’ Federation of India supporters at Baruipur court. The High Court took suo motu cognisance of that incident, according to the report.
There were also allegations of violence involving lawyers at Bankshall court after protesters threw eggs at an accused being produced before the court. Lawyers who objected to the incident were allegedly assaulted, leading to a work stoppage. At Chandannagar sub-divisional court, lawyers reportedly alleged that several colleagues were assaulted after objecting to an obstruction on the route to the court.
The repeated allegations have shifted attention from individual incidents to the ability of lawyers to perform professional duties without intimidation inside and outside court premises. During a hearing, lawyers reportedly urged the High Court to examine the steps taken by the state in response to attacks on members of the profession. The Chief Justice asked lawyers to place their trust in the court and opposed a proposed strike.
Former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee also condemned the alleged attack on Bhattacharya, despite their political and ideological differences, according to the report. She said that disagreement over political affiliation could not justify such violence and that she intended to meet Bhattacharya after returning from Delhi.
The immediate facts that require confirmation are the authenticity of the CCTV and audio recordings, the registration and status of any police case, the identities of those involved and whether the alleged attack was connected to Bhattacharya’s legal or political work. The High Court is also expected to receive information from the state on action taken in relation to recent allegations involving lawyers.
