Calcutta HC Closes Contempt Case Against Doctors Who Terminated Pregnancy Without Court's Orders Upon Being Told Patient Went Into Pre-Term Labour

The Calcutta High Court has closed a contempt case against a group of government doctors who medically terminated the pregnancy of a minor rape survivor, without the leave of the Court, and only after the Court had asked for the formation of a medical board to ascertain the feasibility of termination of pregnancy.A single bench of Justice Sabyasachi Bhattacharya had called for an explanation...

At Late-Night Hearing, Calcutta High Court Takes Up Issue Of Non-Payment Of Provident Fund Dues To Jute Mill Workers, Directs ED To Investigate

The Calcutta High Court has held a late-night hearing on the issue of non-payment of provident fund (PF) dues to a bunch of jute mill workers by various jute companies such as Delta Mills, etc.A single bench of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay took up the matter.It was submitted by the petitioners' advocate that the dues were to the tune of an average of Rs 2.5 lakhs each for 10 workers, amounting...

Green Cover Essential For Every Citizen: Calcutta HC Takes Exception To Durga Puja Mandal Which Cut Tree Branches For Puja Pandal, Directs Plantation Of 50 Saplings

The Calcutta High Court on Thursday took exception to a Durga Puja Mandal for cutting branches of trees obstructing their puja pandal during Durga Puja festivities last year for construction of temporary structures and light posts.A division bench of Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Supratim Bhattacharya directed the Mandal to locate spots in and around Salt Lake, Kolkata, for...

Prevention Of Eve-Teasing: Calcutta High Court Directs State To File Report Detailing Steps Taken In Plea Seeking Implementation Of 2012 SC Guidelines

The Calcutta High Court has called for a report in the form of an affidavit from the State of West Bengal, detailing the steps taken in implementing guidelines to prevent eve-teasing, issued by the Supreme Court in the 2012 case of Deputy Inspector General of Police v S. Samuthiram (CA 8513/2012).The division-bench of Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Supratim Bhattacharya also directed...

Calcutta High Court Calls For Affidavits From NIA, State Govt Over Issue Of Foreign-Made Firearm Seized In Kolkata

The Calcutta High Court has called for affidavits from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the State government in a plea highlighting the issue of a foreign-made revolver with a value of Rs 4,000 which had been seized by the Kolkata police upon a search on the premises of an individual who intended to sell the firearm in the city.Upon hearing the plea, a division bench of Chief...

Re-Fixation Of Salary Only Possible Under Existing Rules, No Vested Right Of Teacher To Claim Enhanced Pay For Being Overqualified: Calcutta HC Larger Bench

In a 187-page order, a larger bench of the Calcutta High Court comprising Justices Harish Tandon, Soumen Sen, and Kaushik Chanda have held that teachers in the State of West Bengal cannot seek re-fixation of salary due to having attained higher educational qualifications during the course of their employment, in absence of any rules for such re-fixation of salary.In deciding the reference...

Female Prisoners Getting Pregnant, 196 Babies Living In Custody: Plea In Calcutta HC Seeks Prohibition On Entry Of Male Employees In Female Prisoners' Enclosure

A plea has been moved in the Calcutta High Court by the amicus curiae of all prisons in West Bengal, flagging instances of female prisoners getting pregnant while in custody in the correctional homes of the state.The plea was mentioned before a division bench of Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Supratim Bhattacharya.I have observed that women prisoners in custody are getting...

E-Way Bill Generated For Exporting Goods To Bangladesh Expired Due To Accident: Calcutta High Court Quashes 200% Penalty

The Calcutta High Court has quashed the 200% penalty and held that the e-way bill generated for exporting goods to Bangladesh expired due to an accident.The bench of Chief Justice T. S. Sivagnanam and Justice Supratim Bhattacharya has observed that unless and until it is established by the department that the transporter of the goods or the owner of the goods had an intention to contravene...

[Attack On ED In West Bengal] Calcutta HC Stays Order Forming SIT To Probe Incident Upon ED's Objection Over Involvement Of State Police Officials

The Calcutta High Court has stayed the order for formation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) in an appeal by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against the order of a single judge, which constituted an SIT comprising of State police & CBI officials to investigate the attacks which occurred on ED officers in Sandeshkhali, while they were en route to raid the residence of political...

Reasonable Measure To Avoid Chaos In Office Hours: HC Upholds Restriction On Non-Essential Heavy/Medium Goods Vehicles' Movement In Kolkata Between 6am-10pm

The Calcutta High Court has recently upheld the validity of a Traffic Notification that restricted the movements of Heavy Goods Vehicles and Medium Goods Vehicles have been restricted to ply from 6 am to 10 am on all days throughout the city of Kolkata except the Port area.The notification however, made certain exceptions for goods vehicles carrying essential and perishable items such as...

[Recruitment Scam] "May Not Get Hold Of Anything At Pace At Which Investigation Is Progressing": Calcutta HC Questions Progress Of ED Probe

The Calcutta High Court today questioned the pace at which the probe of the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) was progressing in the multi-tier recruitment cash-for-jobs scam. A single bench of Justice Amrita Sinha pointed out that the first writ petition seeking to inquire into the irregularities had been filed in 2019, and that almost five years later, there had not been any definitive...

After 250+ Lawyers Write To Calcutta High Court Chief Justice Flagging Conduct Towards AG, Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay Tenders Apology

Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay of the Calcutta High Court has tendered an unconditional apology to Advocate General Kishore Datta in his courtroom after the judge had been accused of showing a lack of courtesy, etiquette and decorum to the AG, in a letter written by more than 250 advocates addressed to Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam.The incident occurred when the AG attempted to inform...