KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday witnessed an unprecedented scene as Chief Justice Manjula Chellur physically intervened when a section of lawyers was engaged in a scuffle and sloganeering outside the court room of Justice Girish Gupta.
A section of lawyers belonging to the Bar Association, which is dominated by the ruling TMC, has been boycotting the court of Justice Gupta since July 23, alleging “misbehaviour by the judge” and demanding an unconditional apology from him. When Justice Gupta’s court was in session, some lawyers owing allegiance to the TMC shouted slogans outside his court room and blocked entry of lawyers who want to plead their cases.
Some senior lawyers in the court room of the Chief Justice Chellur informed her about the fracas, following which she left for Justice Gupta’s chamber and asked him to carry on with the legal proceedings. Never in the history of Calcutta High Court had a Chief Justice had to intervene and ask the agitating lawyers outside a court room to settle the matter amicably.
Justice Gupta then asked the agitating lawyers to specifically mention their grievances and complaints and also sought a list of striking lawyers. He told them, “Tell me your grievances. You can certainly complain to the Supreme Court to remove me from here. I can always seek a transfer to any other High Court. But your complaints have to be genuine. You cannot prevent willing lawyers from entering my court room and also the police posted outside from doing their duties.” Last week, the police had to intervene after the agitating lawyers prevented entry of the rest into Justice Gupta’s court room.