A house belonging to senior advocate and former Rajya Sabha member Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya was allegedly attacked in Kolkata’s East Jadavpur police station area early on Thursday, with liquor bottles thrown at the windows and threats allegedly recorded on a CCTV system, according to Anandabazar.com.
Bhattacharya told the publication that the incident took place at around 5 am. He alleged that a group of attackers targeted his residence and that one person arrived on a scooter, left it outside the house and threw glass bottles at the windows. He also alleged that the attackers used abusive language and issued threats referring to his work.
The source report said a domestic worker at the house narrowly escaped injury. CCTV footage cited in the report appears to show a person with his face covered by a cloth arriving on a two-wheeler and removing glass bottles from a bag before throwing them at the property. The report also said that audio captured on the footage allegedly included a threat directed at Bhattacharya. Anandabazar.com stated that it had not independently verified the footage.
Bhattacharya blamed what he described as “Hindutva” groups for the incident. His allegation has not been independently established in the supplied report. He told Anandabazar.com that 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 an FIR, arrests or any police statement confirming the identities of those involved.
The alleged attack comes amid a series of reported incidents involving lawyers in West Bengal, raising concerns within the legal community about the safety of advocates while they carry out professional duties. Advocate Firdous Shamim told the publication that the matter involving Bhattacharya would be brought to the attention of Calcutta High Court Chief Justice Rabindra V Bhatt, according to the report.
The source also referred to an alleged attack on Shamim Ahmed and other lawyers after they visited families described as displaced from their homes in Benachapara, in West Midnapore’s Salboni area. Shamim alleged that their vehicle was attacked with bamboo poles, spades and sticks while they were returning, and that a woman lawyer accompanying them was harassed. The report said the lawyers were later rescued following the intervention of the High Court’s chief justice. These allegations were not independently verified in the supplied material.
Another case mentioned in the report involved advocate Sayan Bandyopadhyay, who allegedly faced an egg attack while representing SFI supporters at Baruipur court in September. The Calcutta High Court subsequently took suo motu cognisance of the matter and directed notices to the parties involved, the report said. Lawyers also reportedly protested after incidents at Bankshall court and Chandannagar subdivision court, where advocates alleged that they had been assaulted or obstructed.
The immediate next steps in the Bhattacharya case will depend on the police inquiry, including verification of the CCTV material, identification of the alleged attackers and determination of whether a formal case has been registered. No such details were provided in the supplied report.
