The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday dismissed a public interest litigation concerning alleged remarks made by former West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee at a political rally about the murder of Bangladeshi activist Sharif Osman Hadi, holding that the petition was not maintainable as a PIL. A division bench headed by Chief Justice Ravindra Vithalrao Ghuge rejected the petition filed by a lawyer after the West Bengal government had earlier submitted a report stating that no cognisable offence emerged from Banerjee’s alleged comments.
PIL not maintainable
The maintainability of the petition had come under scrutiny during an earlier hearing on September 1, when a division bench then headed by Acting Chief Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty questioned why the matter should be entertained as a PIL. The court had observed that public interest litigation was increasingly being used as a “special tool or weapon” and sought to know what public interest justified invoking the jurisdiction in the present case. On Wednesday, the court ultimately dismissed the plea on the ground that it was not maintainable as a public interest litigation.
Remarks questioned
The petitioner had alleged that Banerjee made controversial comments during a political rally in Kolkata on June 2 while referring to the killing of Bangladeshi activist Sharif Osman Hadi in Dhaka in December 2025. According to the petitioner, the remarks had implications for India’s national interest. The plea also sought to invoke the Official Secrets Act, arguing that Banerjee was bound by its provisions.
Mamata’s lawyers contest plea
Appearing for Banerjee, lawyers Kalyan Bandopadhyay and Arka Kumar Nag contested the allegations and argued that the petitioner had failed to demonstrate how any provision of the Official Secrets Act had been violated. The defence questioned the legal foundation of the petition and maintained that the alleged statements did not establish the violations claimed by the petitioner.
State report finds no offence
Additional Advocate General Rajdeep Majumder, representing the West Bengal government, informed the court that an inquiry had been conducted into the allegations. According to the state, the inquiry established that the petitioner was not present at the rally where the remarks were allegedly made and that no untoward incident was reported at the venue. The government’s report concluded that Banerjee’s comments did not disclose any cognisable offence. The High Court’s dismissal brings the PIL proceedings over the alleged remarks to an end.