Baby Chakraborty, KalimNews, Kolkata, June 8, 2025: The Calcutta High Court has directed Trinamool Congress state general secretary Kunal Ghosh to appear in person before a specially constituted three-judge bench on June 16 at 12:30 p.m. in connection with a contempt of court case arising from a controversial protest near the court premises.
The notice, served through Narkeldanga Police Station, clearly states that Ghosh must remain present in court until permitted to leave and must explain why punitive action, including imprisonment, should not be initiated against him. Legal experts have noted that failure to appear or provide a satisfactory explanation could result in immediate imprisonment from the courtroom, should the court find sufficient grounds under contempt laws.
The contempt proceedings stem from a protest held in April by a group of job aspirants for upper-primary teaching positions. The demonstrators staged their protest outside the chamber of CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP and senior advocate Bikas Ranjan Bhattacharya, accusing him of legal actions that allegedly led to the cancellation of several school job appointments in West Bengal. During the protest, derogatory remarks were reportedly made against Justice Biswajit Basu, whose judicial observations in related cases had drawn public attention.
Taking suo motu cognisance of the matter, Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam of the Calcutta High Court ordered the Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Kumar Verma to investigate the incident and identify the individuals involved. A contempt case was subsequently initiated, and a special bench comprising Justices Arijit Banerjee, Sabyasachi Bhattacharya, and Rajarshi Bharadwaj was constituted to hear it.
Ghosh, along with six other individuals, had been directed to file reply affidavits. However, none of them complied within the stipulated timeframe, prompting the court to issue contempt rules against all seven. Ghosh has now officially received the rule notice.
Ghosh’s legal counsel, Biswaroop Bhattacharya and Ayan Chakraborty, have stated that their client was not present during the protest in question. They added that while their affidavit is ready, the recent submission of a police report compelled them to delay filing it, as they wish to reference the report in their submission.
This case adds to a growing list of contempt matters being closely monitored by the judiciary. Recently, the Calcutta High Court ordered a four-day jail term for an advocate for making slanderous remarks against a judge—setting a precedent that highlights the court’s zero-tolerance approach to acts undermining judicial dignity.
As of now, the court awaits Kunal Ghosh’s appearance and explanation on June 16, which could prove pivotal in determining the next legal course of action.
