West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Wednesday requested Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for a meeting, in view of the “disturbing and unprecedented worrisome scenario in the precincts of High Court at Calcutta”.
The development the Governor referred to relates to incidents outside the Court of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay who has been hearing matters relating to the irregularities in appointments made by the School Service Commission. Justice Gangopadhyay had directed CBI to probe irregularities in the appointment of teachers and Group D staff.
On Wednesday, a section of lawyers, supporters of Trinamool Congress, blocked the gate of Court Number 17 where Justice Gangopadhyay was presiding. Senior lawyers were not allowed to enter. Justice Gangopadhay told the protesting lawyers that he would not budge even if a gun was pointed at his head.
A section of lawyers also came out in support of Justice Gangopadhyay and alleged that the State’s ruling party was trying to interfere in the Court’s process.
On Tuesday, a general body meeting of the Bar Association of Calcutta High Court to discuss issues relating to the Court of Justice Gangopadhyay was dissolved after unruly scenes. A section of lawyers demanded a boycott of his Court.
““You would agree that in a system governed by the Constitution and rule of law, denial of access to justice and obstruction in the functioning of the Courts sound death knell for democracy,” Governor Dhankhar pointed out in his letter to the Chief Minister.
Meanwhile, in a related development, a division bench of the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday extended the stay on State’s Minister Partha Chatterjee appearing before the CBI for five weeks. The division bench had ordered a stay for a day after Justice Abhijit Gangopdhyay passed the order on the Minister’s appearance on Tuesday,.
The division bench comprising Justices Subrata Talukder and A.K. Mukherjee ordered the government to accept the resignation of Justice (retired) R.K. Bag from the chairmanship of a committee appointed earlier by another division bench of the court to inquire into the allegations of irregularities in appointments made by School Service Commission.
