KMC names Esplanade Row after ‘Tokyo Trial’ judge Justice Radhabinod Pal

Kolkata: In a swift follow-through on a promise made abroad, the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has renamed Esplanade Row West as “Justice Radhabinod Pal Sarani,” honouring one of Bengal’s most respected jurists.

The move comes less than three months after Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee visited Tokyo as part of an all-party parliamentary delegation on India’s global outreach against terrorism.

On May 23, during that visit, Banerjee paid homage at the memorial of Justice Radhabinod Pal, the Indian judge best remembered for his dissenting opinion at the post-World War II International Military Tribunal for the Far East, also known as the Tokyo Trials. During the visit, Pal’s grandson made an emotional appeal for greater recognition of his grandfather in Bengal, suggesting that a road in Kolkata — where Pal had lived for 35 years — be named after him. Banerjee assured the family that the request would

be honoured. The renaming of Esplanade Row West marks the fulfilment of that assurance. The KMC formally adopted the new name this month, describing the change as a tribute to a “courageous legal mind whose voice of justice resonated across the world.” The Trinamool Congress, posting on X (formerly Twitter), said: “The legacy of eminent jurist Justice Radhabinod Pal has been etched into Kolkata’s heart.

After Shri @abhishekaitc’s tribute to him in Tokyo, a street has now been renamed as Justice Radhabinod Pal Sarani, as requested by his family. A proud moment for Bengal, this honour pays homage to one of its brightest luminaries.”

The renaming cements Justice Pal’s place in Kolkata’s civic memory while underlining the political message Banerjee carried home: that gestures of respect abroad can find meaningful and permanent expression in Bengal.

Earlier, the state government gave Rs 1 crore to West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences (WBNUJS) to honour the late Justice Pal who was also a Calcutta High Court judge. A Radha Binod Pal chair was formed at the university.