An alleged attack on veteran lawyer and former Rajya Sabha MP Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya’s residence in Kolkata has triggered concern among legal organisations and reached the Calcutta High Court, where lawyers sought intervention over what they described as a wider threat to advocates and access to justice.
According to allegations cited by the All India Lawyers Association for Justice (AILAJ), unidentified miscreants hurled bottles at Bhattacharya’s residence in the early hours of Thursday, damaging window panes and allegedly abusing the occupants. The organisation condemned the incident and said it was part of a disturbing sequence of attacks on lawyers in West Bengal.
AILAJ referred to the alleged assault on advocate Sayan Banerjee at the Baruipur court premises on 22 September and the attack on lawyer Shamim Ahmed and several others on 3 October. It alleged that repeated attacks were intended to create fear among lawyers and discourage ordinary citizens from approaching courts for legal redress.
The organisation questioned the role of the police and administration, alleging that official inaction was encouraging unlawful activities. It demanded the immediate identification and arrest of those responsible for the alleged attacks, exemplary punishment and action against police and administrative officials accused of failing to protect the lawyers. These claims were made by AILAJ and were not independently established in the supplied report.
AILAJ also called for action against BJP leaders over what it described as provocative remarks and demanded the immediate enactment of an Advocates’ Protection Act in the state. The demand places the incidents within a wider debate over the safety of legal professionals and the institutional safeguards available to lawyers carrying out their work.
The issue was raised before the Calcutta High Court on Thursday. Senior advocate and Trinamul Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee said lawyers opposing the government were in a “terrible situation” and indicated that the legal fraternity was considering a cease-work agitation. He said the issue was not limited to lawyers, alleging that “goons from outside” were attacking them and questioning the response of the police and intelligence agencies.
Banerjee also said the families of lawyers were living in fear and referred to the alleged attack on Shamim Ahmed. According to the report, an FIR had been registered in that case, but Banerjee questioned what action had followed. Ahmed separately expressed concern over the law-and-order situation.
Chief Justice Rabindra V. Ghuge said he would ultimately oppose a cease-work agitation, stressing his own identity as a lawyer and urging the legal fraternity to maintain faith in the judiciary. The Chief Justice observed that the incidents should be properly investigated. The Advocate General assured the court that the police would take necessary action.
The court’s intervention and the Advocate General’s assurance now place the focus on the investigation into the alleged attack at Bhattacharya’s residence, the status of action in the earlier cases and the steps being taken to protect lawyers and their families.
