Calcutta HC Adjourns Abhishek Banerjee’s Petition Challenging Eight FIRs Until July 30

The Calcutta High Court on Thursday adjourned the hearing till July 30 on Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Abhishek Banerjee’s petition seeking protection from coercive action in connection with eight FIRs registered against him across different police stations in West Bengal. Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya, while postponing the matter, directed Banerjee’s counsel to inform the court if any action is taken against the Diamond Harbour MP in connection with the FIRs before the next hearing date. The court also observed that Banerjee’s lawyer cannot cite BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari’s case as a direct comparison.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Abhishek Banerjee, argued that the High Court had earlier granted protection to Adhikari in 17 FIRs registered against him when he was the Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly. Sibal contended that if similar relief was granted to Adhikari, the same principle should apply to Banerjee. “If it was good for Adhikari, it should be good for Banerjee too,” Sibal argued before the court. However, Justice Bhattacharyya said cases must be examined individually and that Adhikari’s matter could not be treated as a precedent for granting relief in Banerjee’s petition.

The judge maintained that every petition involving criminal proceedings has to be considered based on its own facts and circumstances. During the hearing, Sibal sought protection for Banerjee from any coercive action by the police in the eight FIRs. The court, however, indicated that it could not grant blanket protection at this stage, noting that the criminal proceedings had been pending for a considerable period. The FIRs challenged by Banerjee include cases registered at Bhabanipur police station in Kolkata, Siliguri, Kalitala and Bishnupur in South 24 Parganas district, among others.

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These cases relate to different allegations and incidents. Sibal clarified that he was not seeking a single blanket order covering all FIRs but would present arguments separately for each case. He also told the court that these FIRs were different from matters where Banerjee had already received protection from coercive action. The TMC MP had previously received protection from coercive action in a signature forgery case related to the party’s selection of the Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly. He was also granted similar relief in a case involving allegations of an intimidating speech during the state election campaign.

Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, representing the West Bengal government, opposed Banerjee’s plea and argued that multiple FIRs could not be challenged through a single petition. He requested more time, stating that Solicitor General Tushar Mehta would represent the state in the matter. Allowing the state’s request, Justice Bhattacharyya scheduled the next hearing for July 30. The court also questioned the maintainability of combining eight separate FIR-related matters in one petition, reiterating that each case may require separate consideration.

The legal battle comes amid continuing political tensions between the ruling TMC in West Bengal and the BJP. Banerjee, who is also the national general secretary of the TMC, has frequently accused opposition parties and central agencies of targeting political opponents, while the government has maintained that investigations are based on legal grounds. The High Court’s next hearing is expected to focus on whether Banerjee can receive protection from coercive action in the eight FIRs and whether the separate matters can be addressed through a single petition.

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