Calcutta High Court Seeks SEC Report On EVM, VVPAT Shortage Ahead Of Municipal Polls

The Calcutta High Court has sought a detailed report from the West Bengal State Election Commission (SEC) on the shortage of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines ahead of the upcoming municipal elections in the state.A Division Bench of Chief Justice Ravindra V Ghuge and Justice Om Narayan Rai directed the Commission to file an affidavit clarifying whether polling data collected from EVMs and VVPAT machines can be stored separately on hard...

'Partition Of Property Can Be Only Among Those Having A Share Or Interest': Calcutta High Court

The Calcutta High Court has dismissed an appeal seeking partition of a property, holding that the plaintiff had failed to establish any right, title or interest in the disputed plot and that other persons claiming interests in the property had not been impleaded in the suit.A Division Bench of Justice Ravi Krishan Kapur and Justice Atarup Banerjee upheld the trial court's decision dismissing the partition suit, finding no legal infirmity or perversity in the impugned judgment.The Bench observed...

Calcutta High Court Grants Bail To French Refugee Arrested While Crossing India-Bangladesh Border

The Calcutta High Court has granted bail to a French passport holder with refugee status in France, who was arrested while allegedly crossing the India-Bangladesh border without valid documents, observing that there was no need for further custodial interrogation after the investigation had concluded and a chargesheet had been filed.Justice Chaitali Chatterjee (Das) granted bail to Rocky Francis D'costa, who was booked under Section 21 of the Immigration and Foreigners Act, 2025, and Section 12...

Calcutta High Court Quashes FIR Against Journalist Over Allegedly False Report On Kolkata's RG Kar Hospital

The Calcutta High Court has quashed an FIR registered against a journalist running the YouTube news channel Arambagh TV over a broadcast concerning alleged irregularities at Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, holding that the allegations in the complaint did not disclose the essential ingredients of the offences invoked against him.Justice Anuj Singh held that even if the allegations in the complaint were accepted in their entirety, no offence was made out under Sections 340(2),...

Peaceful Protest Integral To Democracy, Not An Offence Merely Because It Is Unwelcome To Those In Authority: Calcutta High Court

The Calcutta High Court has quashed criminal proceedings against six School Service Commission (SSC) job aspirants who were booked for protesting against alleged irregularities in recruitment during the COVID-19 pandemic, holding that a peaceful demonstration does not become an offence merely because it is unwelcome to those in authority.Justice Anuj Singh observed that the FIR did not...

Calcutta High Court Dismisses Pleas By Madrasa Teachers Against Re-Verification Of Appointments

The Calcutta High Court has dismissed a batch of writ petitions filed by teaching and non-teaching staff of different Madrasahs in West Bengal challenging the State's decision to verify the validity of their appointments, holding that the authorities could examine whether the recruitment process complied with the prescribed guidelines.Justice Bivas Pattanayak held that the Supreme...

Calcutta High Court Directs Police Protection For Interfaith Couple Facing Threats Over Marriage

The Calcutta High Court has disposed of a writ petition filed by an interfaith couple alleging that threats and intimidation by members of religious fundamentalist organisations had forced them to postpone their marriage, permitting them to take fresh steps to solemnise the marriage in accordance with law and directing that police protection be provided if they proceed with...

Calcutta High Court Declines APDR's Plea For Stall At Kolkata Book Fair, Says It Is Not A 'Public Function'

The Calcutta High Court has held that the Publishers and Booksellers Guild does not perform a “public function” or owe any “public duty” while organising the International Kolkata Book Fair. The Court ruled that a writ petition under Article 226 of the Constitution cannot be maintained against the Guild over its decision to deny a stall at the fair.A Division Bench of Justice...

Calcutta High Court Calls For Withdrawal Of Lawyers' Strikes After Attacks On Advocates, Cites Hardship To Litigants

The Calcutta High Court has expressed concern over strikes by lawyers at two subordinate courts following reported attacks on advocates, and directed efforts to persuade the Bar Associations to call off the strikes.A Division Bench of Chief Justice Ravindra Vithalrao Ghuge and Justice Om Narayan Rai was hearing a suo motu PIL initiated after an advocate, Sayan Banerjee, was allegedly...

"Can You Return All Those Who Crossed Border In 1970s?" Calcutta High Court Orally Questions 2-Month Detention Of Suspected Bangladeshi

The Calcutta High Court on Thursday questioned the continued detention for nearly two months of a man suspected to be a Bangladeshi national, asking whether everyone who crossed the border in the 1970s could be sent back and stressing that a person cannot be detained without following due process. Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya was hearing the matter, with Additional Advocate General...

'Namaz Can Be Offered Anywhere': AAI Tells Calcutta High Court Against Resumption Of Prayers At Kolkata Airport Mosque

The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday heard detailed submissions from the Airports Authority of India (AAI) opposing interim permission to resume prayers at the Bankra Mosque located within the Kolkata airport premises, with the airport authorities contending that national and aviation security concerns justified restricting access to the mosque. Justice Krishna Rao was hearing a petition...

'Not Sanctioned By Law': Calcutta High Court Awards ₹5.36 Lakh To Man Illegally Detained For 60 Days After Bail

The Calcutta High Court has held that a man was illegally detained for 60 days despite securing bail in three criminal cases and directed the West Bengal Government to pay him ₹5.36 lakh as compensation for the unlawful detention, loss of employment and mental agony. A Division Bench of Justice Debangsu Basak and Justice Aryak Dutt held that the detention of Joy Krishna Nag alias Joy Kumar...