Chaos at Calcutta High Court as Mamata faces heckling after hearing

In scenes rarely witnessed within the historic premises of the Calcutta High Court, Mamata Banerjee on Thursday alleged that she was manhandled and heckled by a group of lawyers and outsiders after attending a hearing linked to post-poll violence cases.

The dramatic confrontation unfolded shortly after Banerjee stepped out of the courtroom dressed in a lawyer’s robe — a striking and symbolic appearance that had already triggered intense political speculation across Bengal. As she attempted to leave the court premises, lawyers allegedly surrounded her on the staircase and began shouting “chor, chor” slogans, making it nearly impossible for her to move towards the exit.

Eyewitnesses said the situation quickly turned chaotic as hundreds gathered near the exit gates, with some raising aggressive political slogans, including calls to “send Mamata Banerjee to Bangladesh”. Her security personnel reportedly struggled to create a safe passage through the crowd before finally escorting her to her car amid heavy commotion.

According to Kalyan Banerjee, Trinamool Congress MP and senior advocate, the incident was orchestrated by individuals linked to the BJP. He specifically accused lawyer Suryaneel Das, counsel associated with BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, of organising the gherao.

“The lawyers came dangerously close to the former chief minister and her security personnel found it extremely difficult to handle the situation,” Kalyan Banerjee said. He questioned how such a breach could occur within the high court premises, adding that if this was the situation inside the court, one could imagine the wider law-and-order scenario in the state.

The Trinamool leader also criticised the sloganeering inside and around the courtroom, saying the high court was not a place for political intimidation or street-style protests.

The tension reportedly began even before Banerjee left the courtroom. During the hearing, one lawyer allegedly shouted, “Don’t do drama here,” further escalating the atmosphere. At one stage, Kalyan Banerjee reportedly returned to the courtroom and requested the Bench to intervene after the chief minister found herself unable to descend the staircase because of the crowd pressing around her.

Several lawyers associated with the Trinamool Congress, including Chandrima Bhattacharya and senior advocate Baiswanor Chatterjee, were also present during the confrontation.

Many senior lawyers later remarked that they could not recall a similar scene unfolding inside the high court premises in recent memory, describing the incident as unprecedented and deeply disturbing for the dignity of the institution.

The confrontation came against the backdrop of a politically sensitive hearing related to alleged post-poll violence in West Bengal. The petition was reportedly filed by Shirshanya Bandopadhyay, son of Kalyan Banerjee, before a division bench headed by chief justice Sujoy Pal.

Banerjee’s arrival at court earlier in the day wearing a black lawyer’s gown had itself become the centre of political discussion in Kolkata. Her appearance revived memories of earlier legal battles following the 2021 assembly elections, particularly after her defeat in Nandigram to Suvendu Adhikari.

Political circles were rife with speculation over whether the chief minister was preparing for another significant legal move, possibly connected to the Bhabanipur assembly constituency or broader electoral disputes.

While the Trinamool Congress maintained silence on the exact legal purpose of her visit, the visual impact of the chief minister entering court in full legal attire dominated headlines throughout the day.

The BJP, however, strongly denied responsibility for the ugly scenes. A BJP-aligned lawyer claimed the confrontation was created by lawyers once associated with the Trinamool Congress and insisted the BJP had no role in the incident.

BJP spokesperson Debjit Sarkar accused the ruling party of hypocrisy. “These are the things the Trinamool Congress itself taught people over the years. They had heckled lawyers and judges before and even threatened members of the judiciary. If Mamata Banerjee believes something improper happened, she should file a police complaint,” he said.

Meanwhile, BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya launched a sharp political attack while speaking to reporters. Referring to alleged corruption involving Trinamool leaders, he claimed public anger against the ruling party was growing rapidly and described the incident as “a fallout of the Trinamool Congress’s own politics”. He also reiterated the BJP’s commitment to implementing the Uniform Civil Code.

Despite the political sparring that followed, visuals of a former chief minister being jostled, surrounded and shouted down within one of the country’s oldest constitutional institutions left many in Bengal shocked. For supporters of Mamata Banerjee, the incident was seen not merely as a political protest, but as a troubling moment that crossed the line between democratic dissent and personal intimidation inside a court of law.