Calcutta High Court Declines Relief To Men Accused Of Threatening Santhal Woman, Calling Her "Lower Caste"

The Calcutta High Court has refused to quash criminal proceedings against two timber merchants accused of trespass, theft of nearly one thousand trees and caste-based abuse of a Santhal woman, holding that the allegations disclose prima facie offences under both the IPC and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and must proceed to trial. Justice Uday Kumar ruled that the sheer scale of...

Woman Keeping Minor As Maid Cannot Be Treated As Her 'Lawful Guardian': Calcutta High Court Quashes Kidnapping Case

The Calcutta High Court has overturned a 2007 conviction for kidnapping of a minor girl, holding that the prosecution failed to prove that the girl had been taken away from the “lawful guardianship” of the woman with whom she was residing as a 'maidservant.'Justice Chaitali Chatterjee Das, while allowing the appeal, emphasised that the prosecution's case suffered from...

"No Iota Of Evidence": Calcutta High Court Quashes NDPS Case Against Man Accused Of 'Masterminding' Phensedyl Racket

The Calcutta High Court has quashed an NDPS prosecution against a Meerut resident accused of masterminding a large phensedyl trafficking operation, holding that the case against him was built solely on co-accused confessions that are “inadmissible” and unsupported by any independent material.Justice Ajay Kumar Gupta held that compelling the petitioner to face trial in the absence of even...

Calcutta High Court Upholds Dismissal Of BSF Constable After 32 Years Service Over Forged Madhyamik Marksheet

The Calcutta High Court has refused to grant relief to a BSF constable who was dismissed from service for having secured his appointment on the basis of forged secondary examination documents. Justice Amrita Sinha held that once fraud at the entry stage is established, the very foundation of service becomes illegal, and no amount of sympathy based on long years of service can cure the defect....

Employer Can Deduct Penal Rent From Gratuity Of Employees Who Refuse To Vacate Company Quarters: Calcutta High Court

The Calcutta High Court has held that an employer is entitled to deduct penal rent and other dues from the gratuity of a retired employee who continues to occupy company accommodation unlawfully. Setting aside concurrent orders passed by the Controlling and Appellate Authorities under the Payment of Gratuity Act, Justice Shampa Dutt (Paul) observed that permitting such conduct would...

ECI Not Targetting Bengal, More Officers Transferred In Other Poll-Bound States: Calcutta High Court

The Calcutta High Court has dismissed a Public Interest Litigation filed by Advocate Arka Kumar Nag challenging the Election Commission of India's large-scale transfers of IAS and IPS officers following the March 15 election announcement, holding that the challenge was fundamentally flawed because the “existence of power with ECI to transfer/shift the officers after issuance of...

Calcutta High Court Rejects Plea Challenging Transfers Of Cops, Bureaucrats By ECI Ahead Of 2026 Bengal Polls

The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday (March 31) dismissed a petition challenging the Election Commission of India's “unprecedented” transfer of senior bureaucrats in West Bengal following the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) ahead of Assembly elections. A division bench of Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Partha Sarathi Sen pronounced the order. A detailed judgment...

“No Dying Declaration, No Proof Of Cruelty”: Calcutta High Court Acquits Husband In S.498A IPC Case After 24 Years

The Calcutta High Court has set aside the conviction of a man under Section 498A of the IPC, holding that the prosecution failed to prove any act of cruelty or dowry-related harassment that could have driven his wife to commit suicide. Justice Chaitali Chatterjee Das observed that the evidence on record was marked by vague allegations, contradictions and emotional assertions, and that...

Calcutta High Court Acquits Man In Rape Case, Says Complaint Filed “Out Of Grudge” After Breakdown Of Relationship

The Calcutta High Court has set aside the conviction of a man found guilty of rape in 2008, holding that the prosecution's case suffered from contradictions, material omissions and lack of corroboration — especially the complainant's admission that she subsequently married the accused and lived with him as his wife.Justice Chaitali Chatterjee Das, deciding the criminal appeal in CRA 76 of...

Advocate May Be Member Of Several Bar Associations, But Can Only Vote Once: Calcutta HC Flags Duplicate Entries In Bar Council Election List

“An advocate may be a member of several Bar Associations, but can cast only one vote. The admitted irregularity of duplicate and cross-district voter entries is unthinkable and strikes at the foundation of a free, fair, transparent election,” the Calcutta High Court held while intervening in the final electoral roll for the Jalpaiguri Bar Association booth in the 12th West Bengal Bar...

Calcutta High Court Flags 39-Year Delay In Murder Case, Directs Magistrate To Commit Case To Sessions Court Within Six Weeks

The Calcutta High Court, sitting at the Jalpaiguri Circuit Bench, has expressed strong displeasure over a criminal case pending for nearly four decades without even reaching the stage of committal to the Sessions Court. Justice Jay Sengupta directed the jurisdictional magistrate to complete the committal proceedings within six weeks, calling the delay “very unfortunate” and emphasising...

Calcutta High Court Quashes Bigamy Case Under BNS After Parties Settle Dispute; Says S.82(2) Requires Complaint Case Under BNSS

The Calcutta High Court, sitting at the Jalpaiguri Circuit Bench, has quashed criminal proceedings arising out of allegations of bigamy under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), after noting that the dispute between the parties had been fully settled and that one of the offences invoked could not have been prosecuted through a police case at all. Justice Jay Sengupta passed the order...