Kolkata Police has registered a suo motu FIR against Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief Mamata Banerjee and organisers of a party students’ wing event for violating conditions laid down by the Calcutta High Court for the programme.
The case relates to the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad (TMCP) foundation-day event held on August 28 on Cathedral Road in Kolkata. The Calcutta High Court had permitted the programme at the designated location but imposed conditions, including a direction that one flank of the road be kept open.
Police have alleged that the conditions were not adhered to during the event.
FIR registered at Hastings Police station
According to police, the FIR was registered at Hastings Police Station against Mamata Banerjee and organisers associated with the TMCP programme.
The case has been registered under Sections 61(2), 223, 125(a), 132 and 285 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
A police officer said the FIR was filed over the violation of the High Court’s order and that the role of everyone involved would be examined during the investigation.
“The FIR has been registered for the violation of the court’s order. The role of all those involved in the violation will be examined during the course of the investigation,” the officer said.
The registration of the case marks a fresh legal and political flashpoint involving the TMC leadership and the state police.
What did the Calcutta High Court order say?
The High Court had allowed Mamata Banerjee and the TMC to hold the TMCP foundation-day programme on Cathedral Road on August 28, but the permission came with specific conditions.
One of the key directions was that one side, or flank, of the road should remain open to ensure that traffic and public movement were not completely obstructed.
The police have alleged that these conditions were breached during the event.
According to the complaint, TMC supporters pushed aside barricades and jostled with police personnel, while the gathering also caused disruption to traffic movement on Cathedral Road.
Programme continued beyond permitted time
Police have further alleged that the programme continued beyond the time permitted by the High Court.
The extension of the event, combined with the reported movement of supporters onto the road, has been cited as part of the basis for registering the FIR.
The complaint also alleges that the situation resulted in disruption of traffic and difficulties for police personnel deployed to maintain order and regulate movement in the area.
The police are now expected to examine video footage, statements and other available evidence as part of the investigation.
Role of Mamata Banerjee and organisers to be examined
While Mamata Banerjee has been named in the FIR, police have indicated that the role of each person involved in the violation will be examined separately during the investigation.
The registration of a suo motu case means the police initiated the proceedings based on the violation rather than waiting for a private complaint.
The case comes amid heightened political activity in West Bengal, with the TMC and opposition parties engaged in a series of confrontations over political programmes, law and order, and the functioning of state institutions.
For now, the central issue in the case is whether the conditions imposed by the Calcutta High Court for the August 28 TMCP event were violated and, if so, who was responsible for the breaches.
The investigation will determine the precise circumstances surrounding the obstruction of traffic, removal of barricades, confrontation with police and continuation of the programme beyond the court-prescribed time.
