THE HALFAX HEIMDALL AUGUR

Calcutta High Court Rejects TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee's Urgent Hearing ... Kolkata: In yet another setback for Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Abhishek Banerjee, Calcutta High Court on Monday had rejected his plea for an urgent hearing of his case where he had sought permission to travel abroad for treatment. Single Bench Order A single-judge bench of Justice Saugata Bhattacharya dismissed Banerjee’s plea of ‘early hearing’ of the matter and stated that it would be heard when it gets listed. Read Also India Strongly Condemns Pakistan's Airstrikes In Afghanistan, Calls It Assault On Sovereignty And... Banerjee had moved the Calcutta High Court on June 23 to appeal for permission to travel abroad for ophthalmic treatment. The state CID who is probing the MLA signature forgery incident had asked the TMC national secretary not to leave the country.

Setback to Mamata as Calcutta High Court refuses interim stay on ... © Copyright 2026 The Week Online. All rights reserved. Ritabrata led the rebel camp of 58 MLAs who signed a resolution proposing him as the LoP and asserting their bloc as the “real” TMC Prema Rajaram Updated- June 18, 2026 12:48 PM IST 3 minuteRead Link Copied The court directed the parties to file their replies within two weeks and submit affidavits within three weeks A police investigation is underway in the signature forgery case Former sports minister Aroop Biswas requested a private bank to freeze TMC accounts In a major setback to the Mamata Banerjee-led faction of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), the Calcutta High Court on Thursday refused to grant an interim stay on West Bengal Assembly Speaker Ratindra Bose’s decision to accord Leader of Opposition status to rebel leader Ritabrata Banerjee. Justice Krishna Rao directed the parties to file their replies within two weeks and submit affidavits within three weeks. TMC leader and senior lawyer Kalyan Banerjee, who appeared for Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay—the Mamata camp’s nominee for the LoP post—said the High Court did not pass any interim order but has …

West Bengal SIR | Supreme Court Says Advocate Deleted Was ... - LiveLaw 19 Jun 2026 2:20 PM IST The Supreme Court today directed the appellate tribunal constituted to hear challenges arising out of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal to grant an out-of-turn hearing to a 75-year-old advocate's appeal against deletion of his name from the voter list. A bench ofChief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice V. Mohanapassed the order after remarking that the petitioner appeared to be a genuine citizen and resident of West Bengal. Today, Advocate Shakil Sheikh stated that the petitioner's appeal has been pending since March 27, 2026, and had not been taken up for consideration. Shaikh told the Court that the petitioner has been practising as an advocate in his district court for over 50 years and had been exercising his voting rights for more than five decades. He submitted that the petitioner was a valid voter even before 2002 and no authority had ever questioned his status as a voter at any point. CJI Kant observed that prima facie, the satisfied about the petitioner's credentials. The Court, however, noted that amechanismhad already been put in…

Setback For Mamata As Calcutta HC Refuses To Stay Rebel MLA Ritabrata's ... The Calcutta High Court on Thursday dealt a setback to Mamata Banerjee's camp after it declined to grant interim relief in the ongoing dispute over the appointment of the Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, effectively allowing Assembly Speaker Rathindra Basu's decision to appoint rebel Trinamool Congress MLA Ritabrata Banerjee to continue for now. Justice Krishna Rao, hearing a petition filed by senior Trinamool Congress leader Shobhandeb Chattopadhyay, said no interim order would be passed at this stage and directed all parties to complete the exchange of affidavits before the matter is taken up again. The court asked respondents to file their affidavits-in-opposition within two weeks and directed the petitioner to submit a reply thereafter. The next hearing has been scheduled for July 28. The controversy stems from competing claims within the Trinamool Congress over who should be recognised as the Leader of Opposition in the Assembly. While the party leadership faction backed Shobhandeb Chattopadhyay for the post, a group of rebel TMC MLAs proposed Ritabrata Banerjee's name. Speaker Ra…

Calcutta HC rejects Abhishek's petition to fast-track hearing on ... The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday declined Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary and Lok Sabha MP Abhishek Banerjee's request for an expedited hearing on his plea seeking permission to travel abroad for specialised ophthalmic treatment. A single-judge bench of justice Saugata Bhattacharya rejected the application for a fast-track hearing, observing that there was no justification for giving the matter urgent consideration. The court said the petition would be heard in the normal course. Banerjee, nephew of former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, had approached the high court on Tuesday seeking permission to travel overseas for treatment related to a serious eye injury he suffered in a road accident nearly a decade ago. Alongside the main petition, he also sought an urgent hearing, citing medical requirements. However, justice Bhattacharya's bench made it clear that while the plea for overseas travel had been admitted, the request for an accelerated hearing would not be entertained. The development comes against the backdrop of an ongoing probe into the MLA signature mismatch case, …

Calcutta HC upholds Bengal Assembly Speaker's decision accepting ... Calcutta HC upholds Bengal Assembly Speaker’s decision accepting Ritabrata Banerjee as LoP By IANS | Updated: June 18, 2026 11:35 IST 2026-06-18T11:27:55+5:30 2026-06-18T11:35:11+5:30 Preferred on Preferred on Next Kolkata, June 18 A single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court on Thursday upheld the decision of the ... Calcutta HC upholds Bengal Assembly Speaker’s decision accepting Ritabrata Banerjee as LoP Kolkata, June 18 A single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court on Thursday upheld the decision of the West Bengal Assembly Speaker, Rathindra Bose, accepting expelled Trinamool Congress Legislator Ritabrata Banerjee as the leader of the new majority bloc of the party in the House and as the official Leader of Opposition (LoP). The hearing on a petition challenging the decision of the Speaker filed earlier this month concluded on Wednesday. However, the single-judge bench of Justice Krishna Rao had reserved the decision. Finally, on Thursday morning, the judgment was pronounced, with Justice Rao refusing to give any interim direction on the Speaker's decision to accept Ritabrata Banerjee as the LoP. This m…

SC refuses to stay HP Assembly speaker's order disqualifying six ... ANI Supreme Court of India New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday refused to stay the Himachal Pradesh Assembly Speaker's order disqualifying the six Congress rebels who had cross-voted in the recent Rajya Sabha polls in the state. A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta issued a notice to the office of Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania and sought its response within four weeks on a plea by the six rebels challenging their disqualification from the Assembly. The bench said that pending adjudication of their plea, these disqualified MLAs will not be allowed to vote or participate in the proceedings of the assembly. "We can issue notice on the petition, that's fine but there cannot be a stay (on the disqualification order). That will not be permissible for this court. Second, as far as a fresh election is concerned, this we will have to examine. But we will not allow you to vote or participate in proceedings of the House. On this we are very clear...," Justice Khanna told senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing for the six rebels. The court posted the matter for hearing on May 6 and gave the petitioners o…

Setback For Mamata Banerjee As Calcutta HC Refuses To Stay Rebel MLA's ... In a setback for former West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the Calcutta High Court on Thursday refused to stay the Legislative Assembly Speaker's decision appointing rebel MLA Ritabrata Banerjee as the Leader of Opposition. Justice Krishna Rao was hearing a petition filed by senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, who is considered a close aide of party chief Mamata Banerjee. The ruling comes at a time when the TMC is dealing with internal divisions following its defeat in the recent West Bengal Assembly elections. Refusing to grant interim relief to the petitioner, the Court said it did not find any prima facie case in his favour. "The interim order is refused," the Bench said. The Court directed the respondents to file their replies within three weeks and listed the matter for further hearing on July 28. Why Did The Dispute Reach Court? According to the petition, a meeting of TMC MLAs was held on May 6, two days after the Assembly election results were declared on May 4. During the meeting, Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay was nominated as the Leader of Opposition (LoP) by the part…

High Court refuses to pause Bengal Speaker's decision to recognise ... In a setback to Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee, the Calcutta High Court on Thursday refused to pass any interim stay on the Speaker's decision of accepting rebel TMC MLA Ritabrata Banerjee as the Leader of Opposition in the Bengal Assembly. For now, Ritabrata Banerjee will continue as the Leader of the Opposition, and Speaker Rathin Basu's decision remains in force as the court refused to interfere with the Speaker's decision. Justice Krishna Rao said that the next hearing in the matter will be held on July 28. He directed all parties to file their affidavits before the next date of hearing. "This court did not find any prima facie case and balance of convenience in the affairs of the petitioner for grant of interim order, the interim order is refused," read the order. The petitioner, TMC MLA and Mamata Banerjee loyalist Shovandeb Chattopadhyay, had approached the Calcutta High Court seeking an interim stay on the Speaker's decision. Following the Trinamool Congress's rout in the Assembly elections, a split emerged within its legislative party. Most of the party's MLAs turned "rebels." The …

Calcutta High Court Refuses To Stay WB Speaker's Recognition ... - LiveLaw 18 Jun 2026 10:38 AM IST The Calcutta High Court has declined interim relief for staying of the West Bengal Assembly speaker's decision to recognise rebel-TMC MLA Ritabrata Banerjee as Leader of Opposition in a plea by TMC Leader Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay challenging the decision of the Speaker to ignore party chief Mamata Banerjee's decision of choosing Chattopadhyay as LoP. Justice Krishna Rao passed the order. The matter has been posted after three weeks and all parties have been directed to file affidavits. Yesterday,during an extensive hearing, the Court repeatedly questioned the Speaker's decision-making process, particularly why a proposal submitted by the TMC leadership nominating Chattopadhyay was kept pending while a subsequent representation by a group of rebel legislators was accepted within days. Justice Krishna Rao observed that the central issue was not whether allegations of forgery against the first resolution were correct, but whether the Speaker could ignore one proposal and recognise another without hearing all concerned parties. "What prompted the Speaker to ignore one and accept the…

SC refuses to stay disqualification of 6 Congress MLAs - Rediff.com The Supreme Court on Monday refused to stay the Himachal Pradesh assembly speaker's order disqualifying the six Congress rebels who had cross-voted in the recent Rajya Sabha polls in the state. A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta issued a notice to the office of Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania and sought its response within four weeks on a plea by the six rebels challenging their disqualification from the assembly. The bench said that pending adjudication of their plea, these disqualified MLAs will not be allowed to vote or participate in the proceedings of the assembly. "We can issue notice on the petition, that's fine but there cannot be a stay (on the disqualification order). That will not be permissible for this court. Second, as far as a fresh election is concerned, this we will have to examine. But we will not allow you to vote or participate in proceedings of the House. On this we are very clear...," Justice Khanna told senior advocate Harish Salve, appearing for the six rebels. The court posted the matter for hearing on May 6 and gave the petitioners one week to file a rejoinder. The f…

Calcutta High Court Refuses To Stay Ritabrata Banerjee's Recognition As ... While refusing interim relief, the High Court directed all parties to file affidavits to examine the broader legal question of whether the Speaker acted within the scope of his constitutional powers The Calcutta High Court refused to stay the West Bengal Assembly Speaker's decision recognising rebel TMC MLA Ritabrata Banerjee as the Leader of Opposition. The court sought affidavits from all parties to examine whether the Speaker acted within his powers and fixed the next hearing for July 28. The dispute stems from allegations that signatures supporting TMC's official nominee, Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, were forged. The Calcutta High Court on Thursday refused to stay the decision of West Bengal Assembly Speaker Rathindra Bose recognising rebel Trinamool Congress MLA Ritabrata Banerjee as the Leader of Opposition instead of the party's official nominee, Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay. Justice Krishna Rao, hearing Chattopadhyay's petition, held that no case had been made for interim relief. "No prayer for interim relief is made out, the balance of convenience is not in favour of the petitioner," the court observ…

Calcutta HC rejects relief to TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee seeking to ... KOLKATA: The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday rejected animmediate hearing pleafrom Trinamool Congress leader and Diamond Harbour MP Abhishek Banerjee seeking permission for travel to the USA for a week to undergo eye treatment. Abhishek had suffered a serious eye injury following an accident along the Durgapur Expressway in Hooghly district in 2016, and since then, he has been under treatment regularly. Justice Sougata Bhattacharyya in the High Court on Wednesday said, "The matter will be heard when it comes in the list of hearings of cases following the usual process." Abhishek has been facing a series of interrogations by the West Bengal and Central investigating agencies in cases linked to alleged signature forgery of the party MLAs in the Assembly, provocative speeches related to the ‘DJ’ music issue and the primary teachers’ recruitment scam. His appeal to the court has created a row in Bengal politics, particularly against the backdrop when the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) under the West Bengal Police has already grilled him for hours on three separate days since June 11 at its headquar…

Calcutta HC refuses to stay Speaker's recognition of Ritabrata Banerjee ... Home Politics Rival TMC faction had ‘greatest numerical strength’: Calcutta HC refuses stay on... Politics Rival TMC faction had ‘greatest numerical strength’: Calcutta HC refuses stay on Speaker’s LoP decision However, HC did question Speaker’s decision during hearing of plea by Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay, who was nominated for post by TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee. Apoorva Mandhani 18 June, 2026 03:17 pm IST Facebook Twitter WhatsApp Linkedin Expelled Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Ritabrata Banerjee | ANI Follow Us : Text Size: A- A+ New Delhi: The Calcutta High Court Thursday refused to pass an interim order staying the decision of the West Bengal Speaker to recognise expelled Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Ritabrata Banerjee as the Leader of Opposition in the state assembly. Justice Krishna Rao was hearing a petition filed by TMC leader Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay challenging the appointment. The court has now posted the matter after three weeks, and directed all parties to file affidavits. In its order, the court referred to Section 3 of the Bengal Legislative Assembly (Members’ Emolume…

What Calcutta High Court's Decision On West Bengal LoP Means ... - NewsX 165 The Calcutta High Court on Thursday refused to pass any interim order in the case challenging the Speaker’s decision to make expelled Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Ritabrata Banerjee as Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the West Bengal assembly. Justice Krishna Rao directed the parties to file an affidavit in opposition in three weeks and reply in two weeks. Next hearing on July 28. Speaker’s decision will remain unchanged, as per the Calcutta High Court direction. In the ongoing rebellion within the Trinamool Congress, a total of 58 MLAs of the Trinamool Congress have already formed a separate faction within the West Bengal assembly, where Ritabrata Banerjee has been recognised as Leader of Opposition by the speaker Rathindra Bose. Calcutta High Court Refuses To Pass Interim Order On the other hand, in Lok Sabha, 2/3rd MPs led by Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar have merged with the Tripura-based Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) and have also written to Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla for a separate seating arrangement in the lower house. You Might Be Interested In Man Found Murdered At Maa Kamakhya Temple In As…

Calcutta High Court denies Abhishek Banerjee urgent hearing Calcutta High Court rejected Abhishek Banerjee's plea for an urgent hearing on Wednesday. Banerjee, a senior TMC leader, cited planned travel abroad for medical treatment. The court's refusal leaves pending cases on their existing schedule. The setback denies a key TMC figure expedited judicial relief ahead of his departure. The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday refused to grant an urgent hearing in cases relating to Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee, who had sought the expedited listing on the ground that he intended to travel abroad for medical treatment. The court's rejection means the matters will proceed at their normal pace, with no fast-tracked resolution before Banerjee's planned departure. Banerjee, a Member of Parliament and one of the most prominent figures in the TMC after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, has faced several legal proceedings in recent years. The refusal carries a pointed political dimension: it denies West Bengal's most powerful ruling-party leader below the chief ministerial level a form of judicial accommodation he specifically requested. Courts in India are not obliged to expedite he…

Calcutta high court refuses to stay Ritabrata Banerjee's appointment as Bengal LoP Cites Dispute In House, Lower Court Order

Calcutta High Court - LiveLaw Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader and former Deputy Mayor of Kolkata Atin Ghosh has approached the Calcutta High Court seeking anticipatory bail in connection with a land corruption case in which the Bidhannagar North Police Station has summoned both him and his daughter, Priyadarshini Ghosh.Apart from seeking anticipatory bail, Ghosh has also challenged the police action of issuing a summons in the matter before the High Court.The matter was mentioned on Tuesday before Justice Suvra Ghosh by... The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday declined to entertain a criminal revision filed by Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee challenging a trial court's order directing the collection of his voice sample in connection with the CID's investigation into his alleged "DJ remark."Holding that the issue arose from the same FIR which is already pending before a coordinate bench in a writ... The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday directed the West Bengal government to file a comprehensive report detailing the steps taken to prevent attacks on political workers while hearing a public interest litigation alleging assaults on MPs, MLAs and workers of the All India Trinamool…

Calcutta HC questions Abhishek Banerjee's refusal to give voice samples Share: Copied Listen to Article Audio Loading voice… 0.85× 1× 1.15× 1.3× 1.5× Synopsis The Calcutta High Court declined to urgently hear Abhishek Banerjee's petition against a district court order directing him to provide voice samples — and questioned why the TMC MP was resisting cooperation despite already holding court-granted protection from arrest. With the next hearing set for 10 July, the case puts a spotlight on the conditions attached to his interim relief. Key Takeaways Calcutta High Court on 7 July declined to grant an urgent hearing on Abhishek Banerjee's petition challenging a voice sample order. Justice Sougata Bhattacharya questioned Banerjee's reluctance to cooperate, noting he already has interim protection from arrest until 31 July . The case relates to an alleged hate speech at a campaign rally where Banerjee reportedly made violence-inciting remarks and allegedly threatened Home Minister Amit Shah . The court rejected the argument that voice samples were unnecessary because Banerjee had acknowledged the voice in the video as his own. The Bidhannagar Court in North 24 Parganas had directed B…

Jolt to Mamata: Calcutta HC refuses to stay rebel TMC MLA Ritabrata ... News Desk Last Updated: 18 June 2026, 11:23 AM IST Share The Calcutta High Court has declined an immediate stay on the Speaker's order recognising rebel and expelled TMC MLA Ritabrata Banerjee as the Leader of the Opposition. Ritabrata Banerjee | Photo: ANI Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court has refused to interfere, for now, with the West Bengal Assembly Speaker’s decision to recognise expelled Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Ritabrata Banerjee as the Leader of the Opposition (LoP), ensuring that he will continue in the post while the legal challenge plays out. A single-judge vacation bench led by Justice Krishna Rao declined to grant any interim “protective” order against the Speaker’s move, effectively denying a stay on the existing interim arrangement and leaving Banerjee’s LoP status undisturbed at this stage. The court has instead sought the full text of the Speaker’s order recognising Banerjee, and indicated that substantive examination of the case will proceed only after that order is formally placed on record. Challenge to Speaker’s decision The controversy stems from the decision of newly elected Speaker …