HC allows petitions for suo motu action against CM for ‘contemptuous remarks’

Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Thursday granted permission to file petitions seeking suo motu action by the court against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her alleged remarks that the High Court has been “sold out”.

A group of lawyers on Thursday urged the court to take suo motu cognisance of remarks allegedly made by the chief minister against the High Court. She allegedly said the High Court has been “sold out”. The remarks were reportedly made after the court quashed the appointment of more than 25,000 teachers in its verdict in the recruitment

corruption case.

Senior advocate and CPI(M) leader Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya urged the Bench of Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharya to take suo motu action against the chief minister for her “contemptuous” statements.

He told the court: “Kindly take cognisance of this. Otherwise, every court is laughing at us — what is going on! “High Court has been purchased” (it is said). We do cases before the Hon’ble Court after burning midnight oil ... Now somebody is accusing that the judges of the High Court and the entire High Court have been sold!”

Asked if he is filing a petition, he said: “If I have to file (a criminal contempt) petition, I will have to go through the Advocate General’s permission which will not be granted.

I can file an affidavit with the media reports and clips carrying the Chief Minister’s statements”.

Meanwhile, two other lawyers sought to file petitions in the matter. The court granted permission to file petitions and further took on record the media reports submitted by Bhattacharya and informed that all papers concerning the case would be placed before the Chief Justice on the administrative side before further action is taken.