Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court Bar Association has boycotted all judicial proceedings as a mark of protest against the alleged assault of an advocate by a sub-inspector in the Diamond Harbour police district.
In a letter to the Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court, Secretary of Calcutta High Court Bar Association Shankar Prasad Dalapati said, “One of our beloved colleagues, Sourav Mandal, has been mercilessly assaulted by one sub-inspector, Sudipto Sanyal, at Nepalgunj police outpost under the jurisdiction of Bishnupur police station on 21.07.2024 at around 5 pm, when he attended the call of his client at said police outpost.”
The letter, claiming false cases and threats against Mandal, said that the Calcutta High Court advocate had already written to the police top brass and sought action.
“The said sub-inspector has falsely implicated the said learned advocate with a case under Section 292 of BNS (Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita), besides threatening him to fasten him with further narcotic cases,” read the letter.
The section cited covers punishment for public nuisance.
“The learned advocate has submitted a written complaint before DG, IG, SP and IC, with the medical document, and requested the police authorities to preserve CCTV footage at Nepalgunj police outpost,” it added.
ThePrint has accessed a copy of the one-page letter.
Dalapati told ThePrint that a meeting was convened at 10.30 am in the bar association room on Monday, followed by a decision to boycott the court till the police personnel gets suspended for his actions.
“Ninety percent of the lawyers of the HC refrained from the court today. Since the meeting happened just minutes before the court convened, we took some time to inform all the lawyers about the decision. The honourable chief justice is also looking into the matter,” Dalapati told ThePrint.
The courtrooms at Calcutta High Court were unusually quiet on the first day of the week — a stark contrast to the usual hustle-bustle — because most of the courts didn’t sit post-lunch due to the bar association resolution.
Meanwhile, the Diamond Harbour district police head has show-caused the accused cop.
Superintendent of Police Rahul Goswami sought an immediate written explanation from sub-inspector Sanyal on why he shouldn’t be suspended from the Nepalgunj outpost.
In the letter, accessed by ThePrint, the SP wrote that “while you have allegedly done the assault, which is most unlikely from an officer of a disciplined force, and found so, why you should not summarily be suspended from your assignment at Nepalgunj OP under Bishnupur PS?”
The bar association will again meet Tuesday morning to decide the next course of action and whether the boycott will continue.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
Also read: If the ‘helpless’ knock, we will give them shelter, says Mamata amid Bangladesh violence. BJP balks