Kolkata: Acting Chief Justice (ACJ) of Calcutta High Court, Sujoy Paul on Thursday urged members of the Bar to resume work from Friday, assuring them that the administration would examine the alleged incident in which five police personnel allegedly “criminally intimidated” an advocate and his client inside the court premises.
More than 150 lawyers abstained from court proceedings through the day, citing repeated instances of police harassment and intimidation. Bar Association secretary Sankar Prasad Dalapati said the members had requested the ACJ to summon the Kolkata Police Commissioner and DIG, West Bengal, to address their concerns.
According to Dalapati, the ACJ informed them that CCTV footage had been reviewed and the five officers involved had been identified. “He assured us that action would be taken within three days. He has requested us to return to court on Friday. A general body meeting will be held tomorrow morning to decide our next step,” he told the media.
In a letter submitted to the ACJ, the association alleged that police personnel from Garden Reach police station had entered Bar Association Room No. 18 and attempted to illegally detain a client of advocate Binoy Shaw, who had already been granted bail.
Shaw alleged that the officers demanded Rs 10 lakh and threatened to implicate his client in a false case. A separate incident near Gariahat police station, where a lawyer was allegedly manhandled by a traffic sergeant, was also cited.
With lawyers staying away, courtrooms remained largely empty and several matters had to be adjourned due to the absence of counsel.