HCBA President Ashok Kumar Dhandhania distanced himself from boycott calls over Justice Sharma’s transfer. Calcutta HC Chief Justice Sivagnanam urged lawyers to uphold Bengal’s legacy of unity and warmth.
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KOLKATA: The President of the Calcutta High Court Bar Association (HCBA), Ashok Kumar Dhandhania, has clearly separated himself from the recent call by some bar associations in the city to boycott the oath-taking ceremony of Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma, who has been newly transferred to the Calcutta High Court.
Ashok Kumar Dhandhania has also made a humble request to lawyers from different bar associations not to support or join this boycott. His views were shared through a letter dated April 3, which was sent to the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court, TS Sivagnanam.
In his letter, Dhandhania mentioned that he only recently found out about a letter dated April 1. That letter showed that some leaders of various bar associations in Kolkata had decided not to attend Justice Sharma’s swearing-in event. Expressing his disagreement with this move, Dhandhania said that he personally feels this type of action goes against the cultural values and traditions of Bengal, and he emphasized that he does not want to show any disrespect towards the new judge.
He explained,
“The said (April 1) letter was issued without by knowledge since I was not coming to the Hon’ble High Court, Calcutta for a few days because of my bad health. After coming to know about the said letter and after going through the same, my conscience forced me to re-think about this matter. I personally feel the said letter is against the high cultural values and ethos of Bengal and is also against our cherished principle of ‘Athithi Devo Bhava.’ At my age, I don’t want to become a party in showing insult to our honoured guest who is coming to Kolkata as the new Judge of High Court, Calcutta.”
Dhandhania further stated in his letter that he will personally be present at the swearing-in function of Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma. Along with this, he asked fellow lawyers of the High Court Bar Association to attend the ceremony in large numbers.
He wrote,
“I have therefore decided to attend the swearing in ceremony of the Hon’ble Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma in my capacity as the Hony President of the Bar Association, High Court Calcutta. I am also requesting the Learned Members of the High Court Bar Association to attend the Swearing in Ceremony of the Hon’ble Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma in big (numbers). I am also requesting the Secretaries of Bar Association, Bar Library Club and the Incorporated Law Society to withdrawal the said earlier letter dated 1st April, 2025.”
Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma’s transfer from Delhi High Court to the Calcutta High Court was approved by the Central Government on April 1, 2025. The Supreme Court Collegium had made this recommendation on March 27, just a few days before the Centre gave its approval.
After this recommendation was made public, several prominent bar associations in the Calcutta High Court, including the Incorporated Law Society of Calcutta, the Bar Library Club, and the High Court Bar Association, came together and sent a joint letter to the Chief Justice of India (CJI), Justice Sanjiv Khanna. In that letter, they raised serious concerns about the transfer and requested the CJI to reconsider and cancel the recommendation made by the Collegium.
In their representation, the bar associations stated that they believe the Calcutta High Court should not be given a judge who has a “questionable image” or might be staying for only a short period. They also mentioned that there are pending complaints against Justice Sharma which date back to October 2024.
This whole issue has led to differences in opinion among lawyers in Kolkata. While some legal groups are protesting the transfer, others like Dhandhania believe that the new judge should be welcomed respectfully, keeping in mind the tradition of hospitality that Bengal is known for.
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Cal HC Chief Justice Requests Lawyers to Attend Justice Sharma’s Swearing-In Despite Transfer Dispute
The Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court, TS Sivagnanam, has written a letter to the lawyers who are members of different Bar associations in the High Court. This happened after those lawyers decided not to attend the oath-taking ceremony (swearing-in) of Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma.
Justice Sharma was recently transferred from Delhi High Court to Calcutta High Court.
Earlier, the leaders of these Bar associations had also written to the Chief Justice of India, asking him to think again about the decision to transfer Justice Sharma to Kolkata. But after the central government gave final approval to the transfer, the lawyer groups informed Chief Justice Sivagnanam that they were not interested in being part of the welcome ceremony of the new judge.
In response to this, Chief Justice Sivagnanam made an emotional appeal to the lawyers through a letter. He asked them to change their minds and attend the swearing-in ceremony. In his letter, he wrote:
“I am writing this letter to impress upon you to reconsider your decision especially keeping in mind the rich culture of Bengal in welcoming and embracing people of all walks of life to this glorious land of heritage and culture. I am a beneficiary of such love, hospitality and affection.”
He reminded the lawyers of the long history and welcoming nature of the Calcutta High Court. He said the court has always given respect and acceptance to judges coming from other states and other High Courts. He further added:
“Our High Court is the oldest premier Chartered High Court and has always welcomed Hon’ble Judges from other High Courts, who in their turn became our very own and have carried forward the legacy of this Institution…Let us all unite to make our Institution proud.”
This situation has highlighted some tension between the judiciary and lawyer groups over the issue of judicial transfers. But Chief Justice Sivagnanam’s letter clearly shows his belief in unity, respect, and upholding the long-standing traditions of the Calcutta High Court.
His appeal is not only about this one event but also a reminder of the values that form the foundation of the legal community in Bengal.
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