The Calcutta High Court has requested a report from Kolkata Police regarding the reported heckling of West Bengal’s Leader of the Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, by some booth-level officers in front of the Chief Electoral Officer’s office. The court, led by Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Partha Sarathi Sen, has instructed the state police to provide a report by March 5 in response to Adhikari’s petition, which accuses city police personnel of not intervening during the incident.
The court has also asked Kolkata Police to update them on the actions taken against the involved booth-level officers. A detailed report on the matter is expected to be submitted by the city police by the next hearing on March 5. Tensions escalated outside the CEO’s office in central Kolkata when protesting booth-level officers gathered during Adhikari’s visit, with some even throwing shoes at him.
Following the altercation, Adhikari criticized the protesting officers and expressed dissatisfaction with their behavior. Notably, there is an ongoing public interest litigation (PIL) concerning the security of the Leader of the Opposition before the Calcutta High Court. The PIL aims to prevent security breaches by ensuring that political workers and supporters maintain a safe distance during public events involving the opposition leader.
In a separate petition, Adhikari highlighted concerns about the recent protest incident and alleged security lapses. Previously, Adhikari had approached the High Court after an attack on his convoy in Chandrakona, where he claimed that instead of taking action against the assailants, a case was filed against him. Justice Suvra Ghosh had then issued an interim order preventing any coercive measures against Adhikari in connection with that incident.
