Calcutta HC
Lawyers protest against Calcutta HC Justice Rajashekhar Mantha over recent verdicts, posters put up outside his home
Kolkata/IBNS: A group of lawyers Monday protested outside the chamber of Justice Rajashekhar Mantha of the Calcutta High Court and a few others blocked the entrance to his bench over some of his recent verdicts which led the functioning of the court proceedings to come to a halt.
Some lawyers even protested against the closure of courtroom number 13 and the ruckus outside it turned into a physical fight.
Earlier, posters criticising Justice Mantha over his recent verdicts were put up outside his home at South Kolkata's Jodhpur Park.
The posters called him a “disgrace to the judiciary”.
According to reports, the police had also visited the spot and started an investigation into the matter.
Monday's incident has triggered a political blame game in Bengal with the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) blaming the ruling Trinamool Congress responsible for the incidents.
“TMC wants a committed judiciary. Posters targeting Justice Rajshekhar Mantha plastered all over. Lawyers aligned to the TMC blocked his Court. CJ had to intervene. Sought CCTV footage for Court 13. Meeting of Judges in progress to discuss the assault on judiciary,” BJP's national convenor of IT cell Amit Malviya tweeted.
TMC wants a committed judiciary. Posters targeting Justice Rajshekhar Mantha plastered all over Kolkata HC. Lawyers aligned to the TMC blocked his Court.
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) January 9, 2023
CJ had to intervene. Sought CCTV footage for Court # 13. Meeting of Judges in progress to discuss the assault on judiciary… pic.twitter.com/NyZTcjILxH
In response, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh, however, said: "We, the TMC, have the highest regard for the judiciary and the judges. Without knowing who has done this and what is the purpose behind it, it would be not right to comment. We are not CPM so we will say ‘Justice Lala bangla chere pala (Justice leave Bengal).”
On Dec 15 last year, Ghosh launched a scathing attack on Justice Mantha after he ordered that FIR cannot be filed against Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari without the high court’s permission.
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