The Supreme Court has put a stop to the Calcutta High Court’s decision disqualifying veteran politician Mukul Roy from the West Bengal Assembly under the anti-defection law. Roy’s son, Subhranshu Roy, challenged the High Court ruling, leading to the apex court’s intervention. The operation of the High Court judgment has been stayed for now.
During the proceedings, the Chief Justice of India-led Bench raised concerns about the High Court’s stance on the necessity of complying with Section 65B of the Evidence Act in cases under the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution. The Supreme Court emphasized the importance of properly establishing the authenticity of digital evidence, especially in today’s technological era.
Mukul Roy, who switched from the Trinamool Congress to the Bharatiya Janata Party before the 2021 West Bengal elections, later returned to the Trinamool after the party’s victory. Despite this, he retained his position as a BJP legislator in the Assembly. The Assembly Speaker rejected the BJP’s request to revoke Roy’s membership, citing his official status as a BJP candidate.
The BJP had sought the cancellation of Roy’s Assembly membership through the Calcutta High Court, which eventually ruled in favor of disqualifying him from the House. The High Court’s decision, issued on November 13, 2025, overturned the Speaker’s earlier refusal to annul Roy’s membership.
