West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday urged Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for a meeting during the day in view of the "disturbing scenario" in the precincts of the Calcutta High Court even as its Chief Justice held urgent discussions with representatives of its three bars to resolve the situation.
Some lawyers were seen protesting in front of the court of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay on Wednesday morning even as other advocates went in to plead their matters before him.
A general body meeting of the Bar Association of Calcutta High Court was dissolved owing to an unruly situation on Tuesday.
At the meeting, discussions were scheduled on issues raised by a member with regard to the court of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay, who has in the recent past ordered CBI enquiry in at least four cases over alleged irregularities in appointments of teaching and non-teaching staff in state government-aided schools.
"WB Guv has urged CM Mamata Banerjee for interaction during the day in view of disturbing and unprecedented worrisome scenario in the precincts of High Court at Calcutta as also the recent spate of heinous crime against women and continual deteriorating law & order in the State," Dhankhar tweeted.
You would agree that in a system governed by constitution and rule of law, denial of access to justice and obstruction in the functioning of the Courts sounds death knell of democracy, he said.
Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava, rising from his court in between hearing of matters, held an urgent meeting on the protests with senior lawyers, barristers, representatives of the three bars of the high court, advocate general and two assistant solicitors general on Wednesday.
"We requested the Chief Justice to take steps with regard to the prevailing situation which has lowered the prestige of the high court," Bar Association president Arunabha Ghosh, who attended the meeting, said.
The meeting was attended by representatives of the Bar Association, Bar Library Club and Incorporated Law Society.
Ghosh had on Tuesday written a letter to the Chief Justice informing him that no resolution was passed in the meeting of the Bar Association.
Calcutta High Court premises turned into a battlefield on Tuesday after TMC lawyers wanted to boycott the bench of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay and opposition lawyers protested the claim.
The situation continued even on Wednesday and amidst turmoil the Chief Justice had called for the Registrar General.
It is pertinent to mention that Justice Ganguly had ordered CBI probe in the SSC recruitment scam which includes the name of former education minister and TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee.
“A section of lawyers can play politics but I have ordered a proper probe into the cases. If someone doesn’t like my verdict then they can move to another bench or even to the apex court,” said Justice Ganguly.
Slamming the Governor, TMC spokesperson and state general secretary Kunal Ghosh said that Bengal is ‘peaceful’.
“Dhankhar works at the behest of BJP and sometimes BJP also gets miffed with him. Bengal tops the list in security of women. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had always ordered a free and fair probe without seeing any colour. Dhankhar unnecessarily is trying to create confusion,” said Ghosh.
BJP national vice president Dilip Ghosh said that the ‘violence’ and ‘chaos’ in the state have crossed all boundaries.
“TMC makes an autopsy report keeping the doctors at gunpoint and now they are staging a protest against a Justice who believes in proper probe. Peace doesn’t exist in Bengal and violence has crossed all limits in this state,” added the BJP national vice president.
