Pendency Of Election Petition Cannot Justify Retention Of Every EVM/VVPAT Machine In District: Calcutta High Court

The Calcutta High Court has held that the mere pendency of an election petition cannot justify the blanket retention of every EVM and VVPAT stored within a district, observing that preservation must be confined to electoral material specifically connected with the election or proceeding for which preservation is required.Justice Ananya Bandyopadhyay made the observation while permitting...

Calcutta High Court Upholds Conviction Of Developer, Owner For Illegal G+3 Building, Says Actual Collapse Not Needed To Prove Hazard

The Calcutta High Court has upheld the conviction of a developer and a property owner for raising an unauthorised four-storeyed building in a congested Kolkata lane, holding that actual structural collapse or post-facto forensic evidence is not necessary to establish an offence under Section 401A of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation Act, 1980.Justice Uday Kumar dismissed the criminal...

Dismissal Solely On Admission Of Guilt In Preliminary Enquiry Without Regular Charge-Sheet Is Arbitrary: Calcutta High Court

A Division Bench of the Calcutta High Court comprising Justice Shampa Sarkar and Justice Ajay Kumar Gupta held that an employee's confession in preliminary enquiry report cannot justify dismissal from service without issuing a charge sheet and conducting a regular disciplinary proceeding. Background Facts The appellant was working as the Head Assistant of IFU, SWM-I, Br.-VIII at...

Calcutta High Court Transfers Hate Speech Case Against TMC MP Mahua Moitra To MP/MLA Court

The Calcutta High Court has set transferred a hate speech complaint case against Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra whose cognisance had been taken by a Krishnagar Magistrate, to the designated Special Court dealing with cases against MPs and MLAs at Bidhannagar, North 24-Parganas, who would deal with the case afresh.A Division Bench of Justice Debangsu Basak and Justice Aryak Dutt passed...

'OBC-A Category Struck Down': Calcutta High Court Denies Relief To SLST Aspirants Seeking Reservation Benefits

The Calcutta High Court has dismissed two writ petitions filed by candidates participating in the Second State Level Selection Test (SLST), 2025, holding that they could not claim OBC-A/reserved category status after the Court had struck down the relevant OBC classifications before the recruitment process commenced.Justice Aniruddha Roy held that the petitioners had no enforceable legal right...

SLST Aspirant Cannot Switch From General To EWS Category After Missing Cut-Off Date: Calcutta High Court

The Calcutta High Court has held that an aspirant who participated in the Second SLST, 2025 selection process under the general category cannot subsequently seek conversion to the EWS category, particularly when the candidate did not possess an EWS certificate even within the cut-off date prescribed by the School Service Commission for switching categories.Justice Aniruddha Roy dismissed a...

Calcutta High Court Upholds Eviction Of Chandanpur Railway Station Hawkers From Railway Land

The Calcutta High Court has upheld the eviction of hawkers operating from railway land at Chandanpur Railway Station, holding that the Railway authorities are empowered under Section 147(2) of the Railways Act, 1989 to remove unauthorised occupants without first initiating proceedings under the West Bengal Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorized Occupants) Act, 1971. A Division...

'Enough Is Enough': Calcutta High Court Grants Interim Relief To Abhishek Banerjee, Mulls Restraining Future FIRs Without Court's Leave

The Calcutta High Court on Monday indicated that it may pass an order restraining the registration of further FIRs against Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee without the leave of the Court, amid submissions that multiple criminal complaints were being filed against him despite earlier interim protection.“Enough is enough, I have been hearing from...

Calcutta High Court Directs Probe Into Alleged Irregularities In Disability Scheme In Murshidabad After State Finds 13 Of 15 Certificates Fake

The Calcutta High Court has directed the State authorities, particularly the investigating agency, to complete expeditiously the investigation into alleged wrongful disbursement of funds under the Government Disability Allowance Scheme in the Samserganj area of Murshidabad.A Division Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty and Justice Atarup Banerjee passed the direction...

Centre Notifies Appointments Of Chief Justices At Eight High Courts

The Central Government on Saturday (September 5) notified appointments of Chief Justices at eight High Courts. Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal took to X (formerly Twitter) to notify the appointments: "In exercise of the power conferred by the Constitution of India, in consultation with the Chief Justice of India, the President is pleased to appoint the following High Court Judges as...

Calcutta High Court Orders State To Pay ₹5 Lakh Compensation To Patient Who Suffered Loss Of Vision After Cataract Surgery At Govt Hospital

The Calcutta High Court has awarded compensation of Rs 5 lakh to a patient who suffered loss of vision following cataract surgery at a government hospital, holding that the State cannot escape liability for medical negligence committed by its hospitals.A Division Bench of Justice Shampa Sarkar and Justice Arjun Ray Mukherjee observed that the appellant, an electrician and the sole earning...

Relationship In Nature Of Marriage Can Attract Cruelty Provision U/S 498A IPC: Calcutta High Court

The Calcutta High Court has dismissed a criminal revision petition seeking quashing of proceedings under Sections 498A, 420 and 384 of the Indian Penal Code, holding that the absence of a formally valid traditional marriage does not, at the threshold, preclude prosecution for cruelty in a relationship in the nature of marriage.Justice Uday Kumar observed that a “flawless, legally...