New Delhi (TIP): The Bar Council of India (BCI) on Thursday, May 14, directed the West Bengal State Bar Council to furnish information regarding enrolment and legal practice status of former chief minister Mamata Banerjee within 48 hours. The TMC supremo on Thursday appeared before the Calcutta High Court to argue a case in connection with alleged post-poll violence and attacks on party offices. Earlier, she argued her own petition against Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal before the Supreme Court.
She told the Calcutta High Court that police remained passive during post-poll violence in West Bengal, while asserting that it is not a “bulldozer state”, amid ongoing demolition drives against illegal structures.
Appearing for the first time before the high court to argue a case in connection with alleged post-poll violence against TMC workers and attacks on her party’s offices in West Bengal, Banerjee sought urgent judicial intervention to protect the people from the attackers.
Accompanied by senior TMC leaders and advocates Chandrima Bhattacharya and Kalyan Banerjee, the former chief minister reached the high court in a lawyer’s robe to argue a petition filed by Sirsanya Bandyopadhyay, son of Kalyan Banerjee and TMC candidate from the Uttarpara assembly seat.
She alleged that at least 10 people have been killed, some 150-160 TMC party offices vandalised and around 2,000 instances of violence have taken place in the state in the aftermath of the election results. “Out of 10 dead, six are Hindus. Please tell the police to act accordingly. They are not allowing FIRs to be lodged. In my family, 12-year-old girls are being threatened with rape,” she told a Division Bench led by Chief Justice Sujoy Pal.
The situation has come to such a pass that even she isn’t able to reach police stations to file complaints, and depended on the online mode, she alleged.
As per practice, a person holding a constitutional post or gainfully employed has to get his/her bar licence suspended during the service and for practising law again, the licence has to be revived.
In a letter to the West Bengal Bar Council Secretary, the BCI – which regulates the legal profession in India – sought within two days complete records relating to Banerjee’s enrolment as an advocate, if any, and her practice status during and after her tenure as chief minister from 2011 to 2026.
The letter issued by BCI principal secretary Sriramanto Sen said the apex Bar body had taken note of “various media reports” claiming that Banerjee appeared before the Calcutta High Court “wearing advocate’s robes /legal attire, including white bands”.
“Mamata Banerjee served as chief minister of West Bengal from 2011 to 2026. Having regard to the constitutional public office held by her during the said period, and without expressing any opinion at this stage on the permissibility or otherwise of such appearance, the Bar Council of India requires the factual status of her enrolment, practice, suspension, if any, and resumption, if any, to be verified from your records,” the communication read.
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